Vicksburg Battle Memorial Park

While we were spending time with our friends in Mississippi, we went to tour the Vicksburg Memorial Battlefield Park. Following are some of the pictures that I took that day.

The inscription on this monument reads:

Here brothers fought for their principles Here heroes died for their country and a united people will forever cherish their legacy of noble manhood


Here I am beside a cannon with the Mississippi River in the background.



The following picture depicts the rolling terrain of the battlefield.










One of the monuments dedicated to soldiers from Illinois



Another Illinois monument


Along the road many markers depicted the location of troops and their movements. Blue for the Union, red for the Confederate Army.








Below is my good friend from our Navy days. He is pictured with his Great-great Uncle who died during the battle. He was quick to point out that he had relative who fought for the other side.








The following monument is dedicated to African Americans who fought for the Union during this battle.






The following monument is dedicated to the men from Rhode Island, my home state.















The USS Cairo - below







The inscription on the above monument reads:

To the Arkansas Confederate soldiers a part of a nation divided by the sword and reunited at the altar of faith.

We all enjoyed the visit and we were limited by constraints of time. We all agreed that we would like to return and perhaps hire a guide so that we would fully appreciate the history of this area.

Mom

I was talking to my mom awhile ago when she asked me when I would be visiting Rhode Island again. I said next summer. She then told me that she would not see me again as she was tired of living. Mom will be 96 in November and she has outlived all her generation of relatives (save one) and friends. My dad died in 1998 and she misses him.

I decided that I would make a quick trip there to see her just in case. She is in good health but you never know. Carol stayed in Florida as her eyes are still a problem and she wanted to be near her doctor. I was not in RI for my 70Th birthday and decided to have all my kids, grand kids and favorite niece and her family together for a belated birthday celebration.

These are my comments about that trip. I left on a Monday morning and covered 802 miles. Too much driving for one day. I hate to lump all New York drivers together but the ones I encountered both ways like to park themselves in the left lane and refuse to move over. In some cases they were not even doing the speed limit. The second day I completed the trip. I only had about 650 miles, but the day was longer due to traffic and accidents through New Jersey, New York and Connecticut.

I spent quality time with my mom, took her out for lunch one day to EATS for our favored wienies, a variation on the hot dog, but much different. I visited the A T Cross Company store and purchased three pens. I am a retiree so I still get the employee discount. I took my sister in law and her husband out for breakfast and good conversation.

On the Saturday we had the cookout and my niece hosted the party. Her husband was the grill master, her daughter made my birthday cake. It was yellow with chocolate frosting that was so light and tasty. She is a very accomplished baker. My niece's home has a beautiful recently redone 16 X 40 in ground pool pictured below. My great niece, nephew and some of my grand kids are pictured enjoying the pool.



I was leaving the next day. Once again mom said I would not see her again. I told her she was a great mom, a good friend and if it was so, I would miss her and think of her every day. I also reminded her that it was up to God, and I was planning on seeing her next summer.

I did not want to do the drive in two days home. I stopped in Virginia and then in Pembroke, Georgia and stayed with a Navy buddy . I am fortunate to have made such great and lasting friends so long ago.

Home away from home

We had planned on wondering about Mississippi and bordering states while our house was being worked on, we ended up spending the entire time with good friends in Mississippi. Their hospitality was on the highest level and we all enjoyed the time. Hugh has done an amazing amount of work on both the grounds and the house. His carpenter skills are at the highest level.

Below is a picture of one of the two ponds on his property. In the evening we could hear the cacophony of the multitude of bull frogs, during the day turtles would be sunning themselves on the exposed logs. Early morning and at dusk, beavers could be seen swimming. They are a nuisance critter as they strip off the bark around the trees eventually killing them.

This is a view of the rear of the house from near the edge of the pond.


Early in the morning we would walk our dogs and we could hear the rooster across the pond greeting the new day. The across the pond neighbors dogs would alert the world that strangers were about. Occasionally we would hear the stallion, picture below, announcing his displeasure at being separated from the mares.


Hugh's wife, Samra managed to prepare many wonderful meals while we were there. We were well rested and well fed. It was a wonderful time with friends who welcomed us as if we were family. Carol and Sam have become fast friends. Hugh and Sam took to our dogs. In fact I told Sam we might have to sue her for alienation of affection. Pillo spend many hours in Sam's lap and she provided Gizmo with his first taste of bacon. No wonder that Gizmo stood by her side every time she was cooking.

We decided that the four of us and the three dogs would take a day trip to Vicksburg before we headed back to Florida. That blog will follow soon.

Seventy

Monday July 25Th was my 70Th birthday. It is a milestone of sorts. The strange thing is I don't feel 70. Actually, I am sort of surprised that I am 70. Where have the years gone? I sometime think its not possible and I am still that scrawny kid running up to the bow on the aircraft carrier to wait for my plane to land. Reality sets in when I reflect on the important accomplishments in my life. A great married life, three great children, nine grandchildren and now my wife Carol. I know that I have been blessed. I was blessed to have made wonderful dear friends back in the Navy days that I am still close too.

I was greeted at breakfast with a birthday card, and after Hugh said grace, Hugh, Samra and Carol sang happy birthday to me. I received calls and or email from my kids, niece and step daughter. Hugh and Sam took us out to lunch and we then spent a quiet day at Hugh and Sam's home. It was a great 70Th birthday.

As a footnote, I had parked my truck near an ant hill and there must have been some dog food crumbs on the rug. When I tried to brush them out of the truck with my hand on Monday morning, I found out they were fire ants. Nasty little things. I stopped at Ace hardware for spray. I am happy to report that the truck is now ant free and Hugh tells me that the welts from the bites will soon go away.

Hot Coffee, Mississippi

Friday, Hugh was feeing much better and he asked if we would like to go to Hot Coffee, Mississippi. I checked Microsoft's Streets and Trips and found no listing. Well, off we went. It was a bit of a drive until we spotted the roadside sign for the turnoff. As soon as we turned we saw the first sign for the general store, the only store in Hot Coffee.


Immediately we came upon the combination general store and gas station. We had arrived at McDonald's store.



Following is a picture of the store.



We all went in to browse. It was a wonderful collection of postcards, preserves made by the owners Aunt. There was assorted food items, ice cream, work clothes and souvenirs. A section was devoted to hunting and fishing supplies. I purchased a jar of that the owners aunt had preserved "mayhaw jelly" and also a jar of peach jam. I bought the most expensive post cards that I have ever purchased for the respective children's families and of course my favorite niece. I could not resist a baseball cap that has Hot Coffee, Mississippi printed on it. Carol added a kitchen towel and a magnet with the same inscription.

When we left the store it was almost time for lunch. Hugh and Samra said we would go to Mama Alma's Mexican restaurant for lunch. Keeping with the days tour of country towns, we arrived in Petal, Mississippi for lunch. Let me say that I rarely go to Mexican restaurants. The reason is I don't know what is in the selections. I won't eat rice or re fried beans. Everyone pointed me to a steak burrito, which turned out to be a good choice. Mama's daughter was our waitress and Mama came over to see us and sat with us for a few minutes. She is quite an upbeat personality and may be as much a reason to visit as the excellent food.

We then returned to hosts home for naps. Supper was definitely going to be light.

Gypsie Tour Continued

We are staying with friends in Mississippi for what was going to be three days.

Tuesday we went to the coast and drove along the beach. This area was hit especially hard by Katrina. We stopped at the post exchange at Kessler Air Force Base. My old Navy pal is a retired Navy Chief and thus has base privileges. We ate in the food court and walked around the exchange. I was kind of looking for a Nook or a Kindle. They were out of Kindles. It was a nice excursion. I talked to the contractor and the site preparation is complete and he stated that he would start laying tile on Wednesday.

Wednesday we did very little. Hugh and I went to Purvis so he could run an error. We all stayed close to his home. The heat that covers the better part of the United States is also here in the country. We are enjoying the company of good friends.

Thursday my buddy Hugh was not feeling well. After lunch I went to Hattiesburg with the ladies shopping while Hugh took an extended afternoon nap. Hugh's wife has really taken to Pillo the one year old Chihuahua.He sits in her lap while we watch TV at night. She also has Gizmo following her. He got bacon one morning while she was cooking breakfast. As of this writing we have not determined when we will head out and leave.

Gypsie Tour Day 1

We met the contractor at nine AM yesterday. We gave him a key and told him he had two weeks. He said that he would call if we could come home sooner.
Two weeks ago Carol saw her retina specialist and her left eye was 20 / 20 and she could discontinue the drops. This past Saturday she awoke with intense pain in her left eye. Sunday the pain was gone and eye sight was rapidly deteriorating. She called her doctor and he was on vacation, Carol explained that we were heading out of town and could she start the drops. She was referred to the doctors partner in Tallahassee. Carol was told that she should see someone before doing anything. When we arrived at my pals house we explained the situation and he called his eye doctor who referred us to a retina specialist in Hattiesburg. They agreed to see Carol. We arrived and they fit her in. Yes, we waited awhile, but it was worth it. They gave Carol a complete workup. Her eye sight in the left eye was now 20 / 80. When the doctor came in he spent a good deal of time explaining everything. He directed Carol to start the drops and we should see her doctor in Panama City as soon as possible after we get back. He did explain that over time this situation will clear up. Hugh and Samra were great and drove us back to their home and we had a late supper and good conversation. Day 1 was a success. We had an uneventful drive saw a great kind and knowledgeable doctor and began our visit with great friends. While we are here, neither of us have cell phone service.

How Time Flies

It has been over a month since I wrote that my Northern home had sold. I had about 2 1/2 weeks to empty the house and ready it for the closing. First let me say that I could not have accomplished this task without my wife, Carol, daughter, Jill and niece Janine. I had not worked that hard for years. There were 9 rooms full of 43 years of living and collecting. The furniture was the easy part. All we had to do was label everything as to first stop and second stop. I had collected about 1500 assorted toys and maybe 40 or so pieces of collectible display glass. My wife had collected signed pottery and hand painted Santa Clause figures. Some were hand painted others not. Cats Meow buildings, etc. There were three cast bronze wind chimes hanging on the outside of the house. Each child got one. I have an F150 with the standard bed. I filled that bed three times and delivered to Salvation Army. My niece took a number of collectibles and is going to try E-Bay. We'll split the money. My long time neighbor had us over for a small dinner party and another neighbor took us out to dinner. I have great neighbors in Rhode Island and great neighbors in Florida.

Along the way we met the prospective owners. They are a great young couple who Carol and I immediately liked. They both love the house. I felt so much better that they are so happy and love the house and plan on raising a family there.

The closing went well as planned on Friday June 24Th. Carol and I were exhausted. We had checked into a local hotel and waited until Sunday to leave for Florida. We had decided to stop three nights on the road rather than our normal two nights.

We did take the opportunity to stop and visit Carol's sister, Pat, in New Jersey. They had not seen each other in 25 years. Pat's two daughters and a grandson also were there. It was a nice visit that will be repeated.

I enjoyed the leisure drive afforded me by the extra day on the road. We did stay in the Savannah area and had a nice dinner with my Navy buddy from years ago. I am fortunate to have made such great friends so long ago and that we still stay in touch.

When we bought the Florida home, we said that someday we would rip out the carpets and replace with laminate or tile. Well that time has come. We (Carol) settled on tile and we picked out a beautiful porcelain tile made in Italy. We also decided to replace the existing tile. There will be a lot of dust, dirt as the thin set under the tile is ground off the cement slab. Also the tile needs time to set and then the grout. So we have to be out for two weeks. The contractor wanted us to deal with breakable non- replaceable collectibles. Once again we have packed and moved more stuff as we approach out move out date. I tried for a condo rental in the area, but they are all booked or do not allow pets. So next Monday we will become gypsies. We will begin in Mississippi at another Navy pals home for a few days. Then, it depends on where the wind blows.

Bittersweet Times

I had met a lady in Florida a few years ago and we courted and married. We decided to buy a home on the Florida panhandle near the Gulf. We are within walking distance to the beach and can hear the surf on a clear night. I also have a house in Rhode Island that I had built in 1968. This is where my wife and I raised our three children. This is where with trepidation that I watched each of them drive up the street alone for the first time. I am a big believer in letting my kids become independent and driving was a major step in that direction. The living room is where we took the obligatory pictures of the kids and their prom dates. This is where I cared for my ailing wife before she became so ill that she needed to be moved where she would receive around the clock skilled care.

I originally put the house on the market last year with no luck. So early this year, the house went back on the market at a lower price. There are benefits to carrying two homes. I have a summer place near my children and grand children. I can see my mom who at 95 still has the means to enjoy life. I have a Florida home where we are spending over 8 months of the year. Neither Carol nor I like the cold and snow and all the winter issues. I had just about decided that I would again hold the house another year as the market is so depressed, when the realtor called and said she had an offer. It is below what I had hoped for. However, I will no longer worry about the heating system in the dead of winter. I will no longer worry that the snow and ice will buildup on the roof. I will no longer worry that a limb will fall and damage property. My eldest daughter once said to me that she hoped a young couple would buy it and have children there as it was a great house for a family to grow in. We agreed on a price that was lower than I had set in my mind. They are a young (20's) couple about to get married and this will be their first home. The fact that they will probably raise children here swayed me in accepting their offer.

Although it is a small yard, it is alive with the plantings covering 40 + years. I am especially proud of my catalpa tree. It is a marvelous shade tree and pleasant to sit under on a hot summer day. In the corner is a pine tree that came home from kindergarten with my son. It was a little sprig in a milk carton. Today it towers over 40 feet. I have purple and white lilacs that always seem to bloom on Mother's day. Daffodils and crocus that poke up through the lingering snow in the early spring. Irises whose bulbs came from my fathers property. Their offspring bulbs are in my daughters yards, and the yards of former coworkers. The hydrangea that came from a brother in laws property. Pictured below are morning glory flowers which were planted by my wife before she became very ill. There are other flowers that the new owners will discover next spring.



Following is the front view of my Rhode Island home. It is a style called a raised ranch. The bottom level is partially below the grade.




Following is a side view of the house. Years ago, I was becoming more affluent and suggested that we sell and buy a larger home. I was met with loud opposition. The children did not want to change schools. I countered with the fact they would all rejoin their classmates in junior high. My wife was definitely not with me on this issue. So we added an airy California room to the house and the moving issue was never raised again.



Above is a view of the back of the house and the small deck that accommodates a gas grill that is connected to natural gas. Underneath the addition is a storage room with minimal heat. The wide door was to allow easy access for my motorcycle.

We will be heading up there next week. Although a lot of the accumulation of the over 40 years were cleaned out over the past few years, there is so much more to do. The new owners requested a June 24Th closing date. I will have about two weeks to deal with 9 rooms of furniture, pictures, tools, my collection of metal toys, crackle glass, some art work. My niece has made contact with the man who cleaned out mom's house when she sold. I also need a moving company. Furniture will be spread between family and Salvation Army. In my mind, I know how I will attack the cleaning process. My snow thrower will go to the neighbor who always cleared my side walk and driveway.

I will admit to some sleepless night since the sales agreement. It is the right thing to do and I am happy not to have the responsibility and the costs associated with that home. There are many really great memories there. I am sure that when I journey to Rhode Island in the future I will drive by the house and be melancholy.

Window Upgrade - Florida Home

The front of the house in Florida has two windows with an eyebrow window above each window. Both of the eyebrow windows had damage. The window replacement installer told me that this damage is quite prevalent here due to the heat produced by the tropical sun. The material between the frame and the window below had started to expand into the window and was readily visible.



The mullion within the second window had separated and fallen. We considered these conditions to be unsightly and distracting from the front of the house.


I moved here from New England and felt the mullions in the front window did not appeal to myself and my perception of what Florida homes should look like. I felt it was too New England looking. We both wanted a cleaner look for the front of our home.

We contracted to have the windows and eyebrows replaced with out the mullions. We also ordered a heavier glass with UV protection coating. Below is the after look of the front windows.



Close up view of the new eyebrows. This front bedroom was always the hottest room in the summer and the coldest in the winter. So far we have noticed that that room remains cooler than before and we have already had a string of 90+ degree days. The installer told me that these new windows are a better quality and more airtight than the ones removed.



Carol and I are quite happy with the new look and the quality of the windows. Eventually, we will upgrade all the windows.

Eye Update

Carol had a "leak" in the retina of her left eye. Last week her right eye started to hurt and her vision slowly decreased. Last Monday we went to the specialist. Happy to report that the left eye is back to 20/30 and there is no longer a "leak". Carol has a regiment of drops for the left eye designed to slowly withdraw that eye from the medicine. The right eye suffered a "leak" from a vein in the retina and her vision was off the chart. If you have ever seen an eye chart, Carol could only distinguish the biggest E. The doctor gave Carol a steroid injection in that eye. She also has a regiment of drops in the right eye and Carol will see him again on June 6Th. The good news is that there will be the light at the end of the tunnel and both eyes will once again be in sync.

My eyes are fine. Before the surgery, I really could not see well beyond my finger tips without glasses. However, I could read well enough without glasses. Now, I need reading glasses. Small inconvenience, I know. Its just that I am not use to carrying them with me. I was in the market and needed to read a label and could not. I asked another shopper if he could read the contents for me. He laughed and asked me how long it was since the surgery. He said it was a good year before he started carrying them. Carol carries hers in her pocketbook. I do have a pair in the truck and one on my computer. I just have to remember to take them into the store. I did not realize how bad my cataracts were until they were removed. All the colors are so bright and vibrant.

Puppy Bath Day

Our dogs need to have their baths weekly and some times more often. Gizmo, my Yorkie seems to need baths more often. Terriers are known for rooting into underbrush, deep grass and any place else he can stick his snout. Once in a while I will take him to a dog friendly beach where he loves to run along the surf and burrow his snout into the sand and often misjudging the incoming waves. He is quickly bathed upon arriving home. Carol feels if Gizmo is going to be bathed, then Tiny the 18 year old chihuahua will also get done at the same time along with Pillo the 9 month old chihuahua. Gizmo does not like his face washed, Tiny does not like getting wet and Pillo fights the whole time. Carol told me washing a 10 pound cat is easier than washing Pillo. Pictured below are the "boys" wrapped in their towels as they were removed from the bath.

Gizmo's face and eyes says it all. He always has this irritated look after his bath.


Pillo is just happy to be done with the water part.


Tiny is happy the wet part is done. He seems to like being wrapped up and held. He has a contented look.


After they are towel dried they find their favorite spot to recover from what they perceive as an ordeal. Tiny likes to burrow into a soft blanket.



Pillo loves to be held by Carol.



Gizmo has his afghan on his favorite chair.

Youth - Revisited

My dad always had a large garden until he could no longer take proper care of his vegetables. He would always, in his younger years, have at least 125 tomato plants, 100 pepper plants, hills of cucumber, assorted squash, eggplant, string beans, several varieties of lettuce, and the most wonderful rare ripe onions. My mom would can tomatoes, string beans and would can the best pickled peppers that I have ever had in my life.

Many times during the summer when the tomatoes were ripe enough, mom would send me to get a couple of decent sized tomatoes and a bunch of rare ripe onions from the garden. She would slice the tomatoes, cover with cut up onion and add olive oil and salt. A good piece of Italian bread for sopping up the juice. Loved it! There is nothing like a fresh picked tomato.

This morning Carol and I went to the Farmers Market located at the St. Andrews Marina. First this is a beautiful location with the docked sailboats, fishing boats, and some power yachts. One of the fishing boats was selling fresh shrimp and blue crabs. We went to get farm fresh eggs, having enjoyed my daughter's chickens output while in Rhode Island, we wanted more fresh eggs. We also bought fresh picked asparagus, string beans, tomatoes, my rare ripe onions, and a small basket of peaches. Pictured below is the lunch I had earlier today. I needed to meticulously remove all the seeds as I can not consume the seeds due to a medical condition. The only missing piece was the Italian bread. The bread here just does not do it for me. I enjoyed my lunch and the fond memories of mom and I having our summer lunch together years ago.

Carol made the place mats. She loves butterflies and if you look closely, you can see them.

Lillian Marie

Lillian Marie

Born April 4, 2011 at 5:30 AM
7 pounds 3 ounces
20.5 inches long

Carol and Lillian

Lillian with her mom, who requested no picture yet.


Carol smiled a lot when she had the baby

I did get a turn

We left Florida on Wednesday April 6th to see our new gran daughter. Lillian is my bonus grand baby as I did not believe there would be any more. Our trip to Rhode Island was uneventful and we arrived Friday afternoon. We unloaded the truck and went to see the baby. The beaming new parents were very generous in allowing us to hold her as long as we wished. We did see her several different times over the eight days that we were in Rhode Island.

We had a full week visiting all the grand kids, my mom, my favorite niece and of course, my sister-in-law Ev and her husband John. We had supper with my eldest daughter, a marvelous mustard based marinaded chicken on the gas grill and Jill's chocolate frosted brownies. Pillo and Sylvie became fast buddies. Jill send us home with eggs from her chickens. Amazing how yellow the yokes were in comparison to store bought eggs. We had supper the next night with my niece, Janine and her family. Wednesday night we had dinner with Ev and John and Ev taught Carol the art of making "calzones"

My mom is 95 years young and her favorite restaurant is Twin Oaks in Cranston. I asked her if she could get in my truck and if so we would go to Twin Oaks, She is pretty agile for her age and she had no problem. Her fried scallops were perfect. Carol had Sheppard pie and I had the senior fillet steak.
One day we went to EATS for classic wienies. One night we had Willow Tree chicken pot pies. We had the eggs with ham and toast our last night home.

We left Rhode Island on Palm Sunday morning. I figured traffic would be light as Palm Sunday is an important day for a lot of families. We sailed through New York City and across the George Washington Bridge. We hit the New Jersey Turnpike and we found all the traffic. I was amazed at the long lines for gas at all the rest stops. Later watching TV we got the answer. Gas pricing is regulated on the turnpike and they were talking about the New Yorkers who were going there for fill ups.

We did see some of the damage in North Carolina from the tornadoes. Apparently they skipped over I 95. Mother Nature can be awesome and scary. We had supper with BJ and Marsha the last night on the road. BJ and I were in the Navy together. We were close then and closer now. He has a restored WW II military jeep. He took me for a ride. It brought a new meaning to "harsh ride".

We had a great trip and we were happy to be home. We unloaded the truck, walked the dogs, connected the battery on the convertible, put the top down and went to dinner. We benefited from great hospitality, great food, greater company, and now we are on diets!

Florida Division of Motor Vehicles

Now that my eyes are healed, I went to the Florida DMV to have the "lens correction required" removed from my license. Ordinarily I would dread the experience having been exposed to the Rhode Island DMV where a trip there can and usually does require hours. Not so here in Panama City Beach. I took my passport and went. I waited five minutes for a free clerk and soon found out that I needed more forms of identification. Either a passport (check) or a birth certificate. Then a social security card or a W2 /1099. Then two of the following, registration, deed or rental contract, or two current utility bills. I was told that the medicare card was not acceptable.

Home I went to dig out all the necessary documents. I told Carol that I was told that if we get pulled over with the restriction on the license and we could not prove we had lens implants, we could be restricted from driving the vehicle then and there. Carol immediately produced her passport and Social security card. I retrieved my 1099. We got our respective auto registrations. Now for the utility bills. When we bought the house, we put the electric bill in Carol's name as she had a history with the company and they waived the deposit. The water bill is in my name but I went paperless and have the total paid via a bank draft. No paperwork, good citizen. The cable bill was paid and shredded. I did have the HOA bill which had both our names on it.

So the next afternoon we headed to the local DMV office. As I went to take a number, we heard, I can help you. We passed our eye tests and produced the paperwork along with our licenses. Pictures were taken, fees paid and then we waited for the computer to kick out our new licenses. The longest part of the approximately 20 minutes total was spent waiting on the computer. Carol's license has "Safe Driver" printed on it. Mine does not. Apparently Virginia transmitted the speeding ticket to Florida.

We were soon on our way. Visiting the local Florida DMV office is a breeze.

Hat and Shoes

Earlier this week Carol and I went to the Silver Sands shopping center in Destin. It is a pleasant 40 mile drive from the house. I specifically wanted to find a small bottle with a cap. I have found a restaurant that makes a great cheeseburger, but they don't have vinegar for my fries. I also wanted socks from the Jockey store. We always have lunch at the Chao Italia restaurant. On the way there we saw the Sunshine shoe outlet. Carol wanted to try on the Vibron Five Toes shoes. We had a great lunch. Carol had meatballs and spaghetti and I had the chicken parm with spaghetti.

After lunch on the way back we stopped. While Carol was trying on the shoes , I wandered around the store and saw the Tilly hats. I am pictured below sporting my Tilly hat. The hat comes with a four page owners manual. It floats, repels rain and blocks UV rays. Best of all, its not made in China. It is made in Canada. Why would I want this hat. Well this winter (unfortunately) I have lost more hair than weight. I need to protect my head and face from the sun. I have had a thing removed from my nose a few years ago. Please note the shear curtain in the background. Carol made the drapes and the blackout behind the shear. She also created the same for the double window in the dining area. Those are palm trees on the shear. Very tropical Florida and I love the curtains. The blackout also helps to keep the house cooler in summer.



The shoes Carol bought are pictured below. Each toe has its own space. It does take Carol an extra minute or two to put them on. She tells me how comfortable and light they feel. She is planning on wearing them on our trip North in April. They look like they will be great for travel. They come in some wild colors but this is the pair that fit best.

There are socks that are made to be worn with these shoes. Carol asked me if I would be embarrassed to go out in public while she wears them. "Absolutely not" I said. I think they are great.

20 -20

Yesterday Carol went for her combined one week appointment for her right eye and her three week appointment for her left eye. The good news is Carol's left eye is 20 - 20. Her right eye is still healing and yet it tested as 20-30. Carol still has pressure that the Doctor deemed too high and he gave her drops to alleviate the pressure. This pressure is causing Carol a good amount of discomfort in that eye. There is no reason to believe that Carol's right won't heal and also be 20-20. The new drops are already helping with the discomfort. The Doctor cleared Carol for full activity. This morning she is busy sewing the shears for our dining room.

We decided to go out for dinner to celebrate. We had driven by O' Charley's yesterday and decided to go there for dinner. We walked in and there were three or four couples waiting. I did not give it a thought as I could see the dining room looked empty. The greeter told me there would be a wait of about 10 minutes as they were waiting on the servers to arrive, and would that be OK. I told him it would not be OK and we left. It was already after 5:30 PM. I told Carol on the way to the car that if they can't schedule the servers properly, how do we know the kitchen is staffed properly. We backtracked and went in the local Outback. We had a great meal. This is the second time we have left a restaurant and ended up with a great dining experience.