Joe's 88th, Vicki's 30th Birthday

A collection of photos can be found by clicking on the photo.

03262011 FL Audrey FL 6th Birthday

Audrey's 6th Birthday Celebration-East Coast Version. A collection of photos. Click the picture to go there.

Whew!

The only lasting souvenir of Matt and Audrey's visit is a cold/flu bug that Lori and I are fighting off, Jason is recuperating from a nasty bout of, and Audrey is having a relapse to-she brought it and took it home. But she was a delight in between. Here she is having her Florida birthday party and she got Barbie stuff as requested. I took Matt cigar shopping for his (Feb 24) birthday. We saw some cigars being made. It was very interesting. Love my kids!!!!

Lori instigated a party for Joe-88 years old who has moved in with neighbors Marsha (daughter-in -law) and Bob, (son). The party was at Steve and Mariela's -a wonderful re-run on 35 pound of oysters and Marsha had a variety of dishes catered. Joe and Bob are Italian and that is the way the menu leaned. It was great. Joe had said he wanted "Tan shoes with pink shoelaces" for his birthday. We worked hard at that and the song also mentions a hat with purple hat band. It was a great party. Joe felt special and he also got a Hoveround Scooter. Watch out ladies!

Too Busy to Blog?

Audrey's first ocean swim age 6.

A smattering of the activities. Matt and Audrey arrived Tuesday and we have been busy. They might be the charter users of my guest room. I am delighted to see them The steady stream of visitors has taken its toll on Jason and Lori. They are looking for a little break.

Jeanne and Marc paint my guest room. So nice.

Marc and Jeanne and Andre and Nicole offered to paint my office on the day I went to Boca hospital in the dead of night. The kids ended up painting it so Marc and Jeanne came to paint my guest room. It was so nice of them and the room is beautiful.  Jason Lori and I went to City Mattress- they were very nice and said it would take  about $1000 to do a bed. I said let's try the ReStore. There were two single trundle beds, a dresser and a night stand for $249. Good stuff. I have been buying wild linens  I think you might enjoy my guest room. (hint, hint)

Gary and Scott play with Juneau

Gary is Lori's friend Kathy's son. She bought them a ticket from Chicago for a weekend sun break. They had a ball. Delightful younger (29 and 30 ) people who have great laughs,

Bon Voyage Nicole and Andre

I wanted to take Nicole and Andre to JB's on the beach but it is Spring Break and they had a loud band there. Not conducive to people of a certain age conversing. So we walked the beach before I took them to the "Whales Rib" It too was bouncing but they were able to seat us at the raw bar which brought back many memories of Nicole's younger seafaring days. They loved it-we saw a lot of chef action.  Fun. We ate nothing but appetizers. They are now in a primitive campground on the west coast of Florida, on their slow migration to Canada.

Cardioverted!

Up to Boca Raton Hospital at 5:30 this morning. Shaved, oxygenated, but they had a hard time getting I.V.'s in me. Two tries by one nurse, a third by another and they called for Ken who succeeded first try. I had to have two procedures. The first one sent a tube down my throat to take echocardiograms of my atrium to check for clots which could dislodge and end my days or make me a vegetable. That one must have been O.K. because they proceeded to do the Cardioversion with my device. I was told all went well, fed some breakfast, allowed to dress, pushed in a wheelchair to the front door where Lori was just pulling up. I was feeling just fine, not woozy or anything so she dropped me at my car and followed me home. All went well.
Aside from being a human pincushion, it went very well. Now we will see how long it lasts. I hope for a good long time.

Oyster Bake



dead soldiers- all mine.



Jason and Lori's neighbors Steve and Mariela decided to throw an oyster bake Friday night. Marsha brought her Italian soup and fresh bread. It was a first oyster bake for several of us and I hope it is not my last. The oysters went on the grill and they opened up (sometimes) as they were done. Some mighty fine dining. Soup too! We enjoyed Steve's Tiki Hut complete with bar and television. Their place is right next to the water and offers a completely different perspective of familiar territory. The Nebraska visitors were impressed.



Our host was pretty proud of himself and his culinary skills





Bob's  dad Joe (Marsha's husband) is 88 and the women were all over him.





Can you make them dance? Lori and the Cabernet asked.

 Bob and Doris left Saturday mid-day and the remaining Florida households are catching up with themselves. Jason and Lori came over yesterday late afternoon- a fine cool one and we walked this interesting neighborhood with the dogs. Jason went to David's for a poker party last evening and Lori and I stayed at our respective homes and played "Words with Friends" until I faded. I fade fast these days-all of a sudden I am done.

I got a good report card from Cardio Rehab.  My visit with Dr. Rosenbaum resulted in an appointment to get "Cardioverted" this week. (Shocked)  I'll get my protime test early Monday a.m. to check my coumadin level.  I am hoping this will do the trick and I will stay in rhythm. The next step, if it fails, sounds drastic to me.

Today was a very normal day. I cleaned up my garage a little, cleaned up my van a lot and re-installed a lot of my electronics. Cooked salt-free ghoulash, vacuumed the house. Played "Word," put up "Beware of the Dog" signs, cleaned off my front porch, took the dogs for a ride to buy thumbtacks.

03082011 FL Bob n Doris at Butterfly World

Bob and Doris in Paradise

We have been blessed with great weather and have been doing our usual touristy things with brother Bob and his wife Doris. Fortunately we "natives" never get tired of them either. We had a nice long sightseeing cruise on the boat and tied up at the Cove for dinner.

The flowers are popping at Butterfly World. 'Tis springtime here. For the first time, the Passion Flowers are blooming after getting nipped by the frost a year ago. Between the two households and select restaurants Bob and Doris have been well-fed (as well as ourselves). I like the homecooking because I can tell exactly what goes into the food.

Making Memories

Nicole has been threatening us with a spaghetti party for at least a year. She made the sauce in a crock pot, brought it down with Jeanne and Marc in her Rialta and we warmed the house Friday. We had a great time- lots of laughs and great memories. More pictures are posted  (added) in the Stephens house album if you want to use the last link to get there. Nicole's sauce was a treat-the recipe from a Dutch lady and it incorporated nutmeg and pickling spices among other things. It was delicious.



Marc and Jeanne by Nicole and Andre's RV





Andre and Nicole at my house.



Hump Day

I measure hump day by Cardio-Rehab. My weight was up, my blood pressure was up and nurse Lisa was up about those being up. She made me start on the Nu-Step which is not as hard as the treadmill for me. I eventually got to the treadmill. No edema but some fluid retention is going on somewhere.  Tomorrow's weigh-in will tell the story.  Meanwhile I am eating low, low salt. I don't know where I screwed up but the result seems to indicate I did.

Nicole has been threatening to cook spaghetti for over a year. They will all come here tomorrow afternoon. I told them all this place needs is some good memories to furnish it.I will have the smallest dab of sauce.  I have music! A tuner by Panasonic. There are some good stations down here. 

Jason came here a little while ago and we gave the doggies a good walk-or did they give us one? Enjoyable for all and healthy besides. I kind of lurch in the darkness but I have remained upright so far.. We had a great rain yesterday and a little one today. With the breeze it was just the right degree of cool tonight.

Reading a Kay Scarpetta Medical Examiner, mystery. Enjoyable.

Better

Buddy is much better and so am I. I had a revisit of my lower back pain and changing positions was darn painful. It didn't prevent a good workout at Cardio yesterday. I avoided taking the dog's medicine and am much improved today. Honey is doing well. Juneau comes for visits and my dogs go for visits at Jason and Lori's. Cooked dinner for all and sundry last evening- another first and the launching of the barbeque grill. Doggies got a cheaper cut of Target's fine beef.

That darn Jason won't sit still. He came with chore and enhancement stuff. He planted a bougainvillea that I rescued from the dump but he also planted grass plugs, finished potting my dwarf date palms and installed some solar yard lights. He was also coaching me on  cooking steaks on the grill-at my request. He is a master, Lori is redoing the room I stayed in at their house. I am having fun being in on the decisions. Lori is fun to hang with. Jason took her to Lauderdale this morning-she had to report for jury duty.

I don't have anything on the agenda today and I am fine with that-rest the back.