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.

Our Dogs Pillo - Gizmo - Tiny

Pillo (pee-lo) is our newest addition. We acquired him last October when he was 2 months old. His parents were each 4.5 pounds and we expect (hope) he will not surpass that weight. Pillo pictured above is sleeping in the sun with one of his favorite toys. He is a bundle of energy and is usually involved in mischief. He playfully attacks Gizmo my Yorkie or he is running throughout the house with one of our socks or with one of Carol's skeins of yarn. He finally managed to jump high enough to get on the furniture. He managed to get a knitting needle and chewed the tip off. Carol remarked that he must have an amazing digestive system. He has the run of the house. He wants to play with Tiny our 17 year old chihuahua who tends to sleep a lot and has little patience for romping with a puppy.

I managed to catch Pillo and Gizmo sitting on my recliner when the sun was shining in the back sliding door. Pillo has several shirts as he is not yet 3 pounds and needs the added warmth. The red bib like thing around his neck is actually a harness for walking him. We tried a collar but he pulls on the leash and we are afraid he will hurt is trachea.


Carol has started teaching the "boys" tricks. Below Gizmo is playing dead. Pillo is waiting his turn as he and Gizmo each perform their repertoire. Tiny does not nor will he do tricks. He just gets his share of treats automatically. It has a lot to do with his seniority. Lately Carol can not do the routine while she recuperates from eye surgery. I tried to fill in but they have me pegged for a softy and I give them the treats without them really performing.



Carol ordered a doggy playpen recently. It gives us some relaxing time without worrying what mischief he is doing. We also plan on bringing it North as that house has stairs and a railing that he would easily fit under. He has a number of toys in the playpen and he will stay happily in there until he decides to howl his displeasure.


We can not imagine our home without him.

X/treame Lawn Care

We live in a community where our HOA covers lawn care. We have been here two years. The current company is the third lawn care company since we bought here. The first did a good job but I think they priced themselves out of the market. The second group lasted a short time and apparently were ineffective. The company we have now (in my opinion) does an outstanding job. They inherited a failing and poorly designed sprinkler system and grounds that were in poor shape. They have steadily improved the look of the entry from the main road, properly trimmed shrubs and palm trees. They also have to deal with the stones that were placed around all the foundation of each house. Pictured below is an example of these stones. They have caused headaches for every lawn care company. Windows have been broken, vinyl siding cracked and screens pierced.


Now that the weather has warmed up, the guys started cutting grass and trimming. Unfortunately, my new sliding door was shattered by a stone that was send flying by a weed whacker. This door was special ordered to withstand high impact hurricane winds of at least 135 mph. It also was treated to protect from UV rays of the sun. Pictured below is the result of the stone hitting the door.


We were out for lunch when this happened. I saw the door immediately as I entered the house from the front door. I was livid to say the least. As I approached the door, I could hear the glass crackling. I told Carol don't touch the door. I called the management company and they were talking to the owner of the lawn care company. They accepted full responsibility for the repair and a man from the glass company was on the way. The owner of Xtream called me and said he would see me within an hour. He never did come and for that I am disappointed in him. I judge a man by his word. As the glass continued to crackle, it started to fall in on its self. The picture below shows the process


The gentleman from the glass company came. He quoted a price to the lawn care company and he was awarded the job. He did an outstanding job of cleaning up the broken glass. We are not afraid to bring our three dogs out there. Because the door was a special order, the replacement will not be here until the middle of next week. While he was here, I asked him to quote on replacing the two small eyebrow windows in the front of the house. They have slats within the window and one has fallen in the window and the other has the rubber casing inside visible. I would like the front of the house to look right. Time will tell if the door will ever be right.

Surgery Updates

Carol saw the doctor yesterday morning. Her left eye previously 20/400 uncorrected is now between 20/25 and 20/30. She is experiencing balance problems because the two eyes are so much different and also her lens is different from mind to correct her astigmatism. The doctor agreed to move the surgery up a week and Carol's second eye will be done on March 2ND.

My left eye was operated on yesterday and this morning I had the one day checkup. My eye is more swollen than he wants so I have some extra drops for two days. My distance vision is good both eyes, but my closeup vision is blurry today. All in all, good progress and good news.

We both will be finished with surgery and all followup appointments before the end of March. We will be cleared to leave for Rhode Island as soon as the new grand daughter arrives.

Eye surgeries and odds and ends

Carol's eye is doing much better. She is seeing distance well with the other eye closed. When both eyes are open she has trouble with balance. A neighbor who also had astigmatism correction with her cataract surgery told her that having the second eye done was the key. She too had the imbalance and trouble focusing before the second surgery. Carol sees the doctor tomorrow and told me she will beg and grovel to have the next surgery as soon as possible. We know the Doctor is taking a weeks vacation sometime in March. Depending on the week, she may have to wait an extra week.

My second eye will be done tomorrow afternoon. I am also eager to get that done. Once our eye surgeries and followup appointments are completed, our new granddaughter should have entered the world. We will head up to Rhode Island then.

Gizmo was chasing Pillo and they both leaped over Tiny. When Gizmo landed he sprained his lower left front paw. We took him to the vet the next morning and he was given an anti inflammatory shot and I have a script for him. He does not like taking liquid from a syringe. Its easier with a pill wrapped in cheese.

We took Tiny in this morning. His skin is in poor shape and he scratches so hard he cries. We are afraid that the quality of his life is diminishing rapidly. He received two injections that are time released and we will monitor him closely over the next week. If he shows improvement, he will need two more regiments every 10 days. He continues to lose weight and no longer wishes to be held. He is 17 years old and has lived a great life since Carol rescued him 15 years ago.

Pillo has passed the 6 month birthday and has started lifting his leg. Once Carol has a date for her second eye, we will figure out a good date to have Pillo "fixed". He continues to amuse us. He struts around the block as if he is the biggest baddest dog out there. He menacingly charged a frog until it hopped and he then ran the other way. Also he has started to jump up on the chairs where Gizmo sleeps. No rest for Gizmo. He has managed to jump in the basket where her yarn is kept and was running off with a skein. He also managed to chew an end off a knitting needle. Carol is considering buying a playpen for him.

The weather on the Panhandle has finally warmed up to normal temperatures for this time of year. We have been spending time in two of our favorite state parks. I mentioned to my son that I had to run the A/C in the truck and it affects my MPG. He said he was freezing his you know what off and had no sympathy for me.

The realtor had an open house in RI and two parties showed interest. I will hope for the best and what will be - will be. If no buyer, we will spend the summer there.

The eyes have it

Carol's surgery was scheduled for 1 PM Tuesday the 15Th. To say she was nervous was an understatement. To add to the anxiety, we sat in the waiting room until 1:30 PM before she was called. Carol was having more extensive surgery than I had. Carol agreed to have her astigmatism corrected at the same time as cataract surgery. This required a special lens and two additional incisions. Tuesday night Carol's vision in her left eye was no more than a blur. She could not see. Wednesday morning her sight was no better. She complained that I was able to read the paper the next morning. We are all different I said trying to calm her. We were at the the eye doctors for an 8:25 AM appointment. Carol's vision was a disappointment. The doctor told her that her eye was very swollen and dry. The lens was perfectly placed and that the dilation would wear off later that day. We needed to get lubricating drops for the dry eye. Carol was told that her vision would be changing over the next few days. This morning she could read without glasses but her distance sight is still poor. The doctor told her that they expect her to have 20 - 30 vision once the eye heals. Part of Carol's anxiety is due to the fact that my vision drastically improved within 48 hours and hers has not. I truly expect her vision to rapidly improve as the swelling goes down and the dilation finally fades. Carol will see the eye doctor next Tuesday morning and I will have my left eye done that afternoon.

Changing subjects, Carol and I enjoyed our Valentine / wedding anniversary on the 14Th. We added to Carol's pandora bracelet. We enjoyed a nice steak dinner utilizing an Omaha steak that was part of my sons Christmas present to us.

Yesterday, I was called by the company that administers one of my credit cards. Apparently someone in Illinois tried to charge $300.00 at a Home Depot. The card was denied because the experation date was wrong. They then called me. We closed the account and a new card will be sent. I reviewed all my charges over the last few months and the only time the card was out of my sight was at an Italian restaurant in Old St. Andrews. All the other charges were at the market and the gas station where I use all my cards on a rotating basis. So hard telling. I'm glad they have good detection software.

20 - 25

I had my one week visit this morning. My right eye is now 20 - 25. The healing process will continue. I can also resume normal activity. I will not have to tape the plastic shield over the eye. I can bend, stoop and lift within reason. My left eye is now scheduled for February 22nd. I can hardly wait. I am seeing so much much better with one eye, I know it will be even better.

Carol goes for pre-op tomorrow and her first eye will be done on the 15th. It will be my turn to do the bending and lifting for her. Pillo still requires an early (3 AM) trip outside. I don't look forward to that but it will have to be done. By the time we head North for the new grandchild we will both be seeing so much better.

Surgery Update

The surgery was yesterday. I arrived 10 minutes early for my 1:30 PM appointment. I was taken on time, prepped for the procedure. Drops were placed in my right eye to numb it. I was hooked up to a heart monitor and given a small dose of a drug to relax me. The doctor came in and spoke to me, checked my eye for dilation. A few minutes later I was moved to an operating room. My head was strapped in place. I was told to stare at the light and he began. He told me what he was doing every step of the way. I was finished within 10 minutes. I was wheeled into recovery, provided with a drink of apple juice and I was given two pictures of my eye in different stages of the procedure. Carol came in and got me. Total time there 90 minutes. Last night I was amazed at the vibrant colors on the TV. My sight had been deteriorating for awhile. Now the hard part, no bending, stooping, or picking up anything over a few pounds for 7 days. I must sleep with a shield over the eye. Carol is hovering over me watching my every move.

This morning I went for the day after surgery appointment The eye looks good just a little swelling around the incision. As the dilation fades, I am seeing so much better. I am looking forward to having the next eye done.

We had previously made an appointment this morning for Carol as she was due her yearly checkup and she wanted another scrip for contacts. Carol also has cataracts and we scheduled her first surgery around my next procedure. This way one of us will be able to drive the other, and provide care during the sensitive 7 days after surgery.

Eye Surgery

I went this past Wednesday for my pre-op appointments. First at the eye doctors where I saw a video on how to prepare my eye before surgery and what to do after surgery. Then my eyes were measured and "mapped" if you will for the implants. This was all very impressive with the process and the equipment. I saw my doctor and I was given my kit. In there are samples of the drops, a shield that I will tape over the eye to sleep and a pair of dark sunglasses that are more like the safety glasses that needed to be worn in the factory. I also received prescriptions for the three drops needed twice daily per a prescribed schedule. I had previously visited the Walgreen's and found out the cost and decided I did not want generic. After all I only have these two eyes.

My next stop was the surgery center a short distance from the doctor's office. There I waited for 30 minutes to see someone for less than 5 minutes for pre-op instructions. I must bring my kit and wear a button shirt ( I have one) no food for 6 hours and no liquid for 4 hours before my appointment.

I dropped off the scrip and assumed everything would be good. The next day, I went for my drops only to find out that one (Bromday) was not filled and also not ordered because my plan would not cover any of the $170.00 cost. I told her I knew that. Why was I not contacted, these are needed for eye surgery. The whole pharmacy department looked as if they were deer in the headlights. I guess customer service at Walgreen's is severely lacking and the insurance company has more clout than the customer. I finally got the drops the next day. I am evaluating if I want to continue doing business with Walgreen's.

Tonight I start washing the eyelid and lashes on my right eye with diluted Johnson's baby shampoo. This will be done for three nights. Tomorrow morning I will start the twice daily regiment of one drop each of the three prescribed drops. One drop is for ten days, another for three weeks and the third for about two weeks. I have a chart.

Tuesday is surgery on the right eye. I will have to wear a shield over the eye for a week while the implant heals. This will stop rubbing of the eye in my sleep. Frankly I am worried about this part. I'm told you rub your eyes in your sleep. Must be very careful. I have purchased a pair of sunglasses as my prescription sunglasses can no longer be used.

I am looking forward to having the second eye done. I know my vision will be tremendously improved.

A memorable week

We had a very nice and interesting week that just ended. It began last Saturday when my good pal from my Navy days arrived with his wife and grand daughter. They were spending the long weekend with us. The weather was sunny but not the warmth we had hoped for. Temperatures have been running about 10 degrees below normal. After lunch we went and walked out the Bay County pier. It is 1500 feel long and is a pleasant walk and the sea was a beautiful blue. We also went to St. Andrews State Park that afternoon. I had prepared a large pot of sauce, meatballs and Italian sweet sausage on Friday for our Saturday evening meal. Carol prepared wheat pasta. Carol and I started with the wheat pasta as a healthy choice and like it. Sunday the ladies went to Pier Park shopping after lunch. I took Hugh for a tour of historic old St. Andrews, the marina and other points of interest. Monday morning was spent relaxing over breakfast with my commitment that we would go to their home in Mississippi sometime in February.

Tuesday we waken to heavy fog and decided that we would see True Grit. It was an excellent movie. The young lady that portrayed Maddy stole the movie. Jeff Bridges was great (but no John Wayne) Matt Damon is a better Bourne than a Texas Ranger.

The sailing ship Peacemaker is spending the better part of January here in the Panama City Marina. They offer free tours from 10 AM until 4 PM each day. Donations are accepted but not mandatory. It is crewed by members of Twelve Tribes. Carol and I decided to tour the ship on Wednesday afternoon. I finally picked a dentist here and went for a cleaning in the morning.

The woodwork aboard the ship is just magnificent. I was really impressed with the condition of this vessel. Carol is standing in front of the bridge where all the modern equipment is located for guiding the ship while underway.

This is not a good picture of us but it does have the bow in the background and shows some of the rigging. Followed by a picture of one of the crow's nest.

Members of the crew produce pottery as a means of making some money to defray expenses. The pieces were very beautiful and were signed. I bought Carol a tee shirt and also bought the last four postcards. I had on my URI baseball cap and a young lady told me she was born in Providence. She asked if she could pet Pillo and I said she could hold him. She told me she was fourteen and I asked if she ever went aloft. Absolutely and my two sisters also go up to help furl the sails. I was quite impressed with her.

Another picture of the top of two of the masts.

I have been wanting to have dual exhausts installed on my F 150. Thursday morning I went to Mad Hatter on 23rd street and had a magnaflow one into two muffler installed. While I was doing this Carol went to see her primary care physician. She had a good check up and below is a picture of the exhaust pipes. I love the look and I am getting use to the sound. It is a little loud especially in low gear. On the highway the sound is barely noticeable.

Earlier in the week I made an appointment with Dr. Hasty. He was highly recommended by my barber. I have been having increasingly more difficulty seeing with my right eye. I really like the doctor. The scale for cataracts is from zero to four. My right eye is between 3 1/2 and 4. My left eye is close to 3. I have agreed to have the surgery and I will also have lens implant. The right eye will be done first and the left eye 3 or 4 weeks later. I will not have to wear glasses except maybe for reading. I have been wearing glasses for a long time. I am looking forward to this process being completed. I will periodically comment on the progress.

Clink - Clink - Clink

Not too long ago, I was reading the local paper while Carol was showering and getting ready for a shopping trip with her good friend, Victoria. I heard her exclaim in a panicky voice, Oh S@*%t! Oh honey something horrible has happened. I jumped up thinking something happened to Pillo our newest Chihuahua who likes to lay on Carol's robe while she showers. I rushed in and immediately saw Pillo also looking upset. What is the matter? It was a most horrible sound as she began to cry. What sound? "Clink-clink-clink' she said. I was cleaning my diamond earring and that is the sound it made going down the drain in the sink. I hugged her and asked her not to cry as I do not like to see women crying. It will be OK, I said trying not to laugh. Stay calm, I will get it back or else we will have the jewelry store make another with a matching quality diamond. "I only want that one she sobbed, they are special you bought them for me when we started to get serious." I told her to finish getting ready and go shopping and do not run the water. I looked under the sink and realized I did not have the proper tools. I had met a local plumber when he worked on my neighbor's water line. I called him and a few hours later he came. Within five minutes he had the diamond. When I asked how much, he said no need we do this all the time. I thanked him and I then called Carol and told her I had the earring.

DeFuniak Springs Christmas Light Display 2010

The community of DeFuniak Springs does a Christmas display of lights surrounding the round lake near the center of town. This is the third year that Carol and I have visited the display. Each year, it seems, additional lighted displays are added. Last year there were 6.5 million lights. I estimate that close to 7 million lights are in this years display. The cost is $3.00 per person and you are allowed to drive around as many times as you wish. Last night we drove there to view the lights. We invited Janet to come along. Janet is a dear sweet lady that eats lunch at the local restaurant that we like. She is alone and we like her. She also spent Christmas day with us.

Following are some of the pictures that I took.

Many of the local homes along the drive are decorated. There are a number of Victorian style homes located here.

We always enjoy the display. Christmas carols were played over speakers located throughout the display. A wonderful clear night, well worth the approximate 90 mile round trip.

2010 - A great year in review

2010 was very good to us. We quietly welcomed the New Year (kind of). We watched the ball drop in New York City and that was fine with us. We are in the central time zone so we slept through our New Year.

February, we celebrated our first wedding anniversary. The Rhode Island home went on the market. I believe the realtor was overly optimistic and the house was probably priced too high for the times. It did not sell and we spent the summer there.

In April we hit the road. Neither of us had seen the Grand Canyon and it was high on my bucket list. Along the way we saw the White Sands of New Mexico, Sedona, Tonto National Forest, Oak Creek Canyon and Hoover Dam. We also stopped in El Paso for a long awaited visit with Carol's son, Bill.

Summer was spent in RI and my son and I went to Gettysburg to tour the battlefield. He arranged for a tour guide to spend 4 hours with us. It was fantastic. I enjoyed it so much that I took Carol there on one of our trips North. We had made a quick trip south to take furniture to the Florida home and went North via Shenandoah National Forest.

We both traded vehicles. I had been wanting a truck for several years and I finally got a 2010 F150 extended cab. Carol's 11 year old Chevy convertible was showing signs of age (repair$$$) and she stepped up to a 2007 Pontiac G6 hardtop convertible with under 17k miles. Very sporty and more powerful than the Chevy 4 cylinder.

We returned to Florida in September for the winter season. We did do a long weekend in Gulf Shores, AL with some of my Navy pals from long ago. We had a good time visiting. I may be prejudice but Panama City Beach is far more beautiful than Gulf Shores. In October, Carol found a chihuahua puppy and Pillo has become part of the family. Never did I think we would have three dogs. They will travel with us.

Christmas was great and we are looking forward to 2011 with anticipation. The RI home will soon be on the market again and Carol and I are working on the new bucket list for our major trip in 2011 as we continue to explore the United States and Canada.

Hurricane straps

I am not a do-it-yourself type of guy. I will attempt some small "safe" projects. Ones I think I won't mess up. Carol dislikes blinds and we have started to hang curtains. I felt that I would be able to install the rods. The first room was the master bedroom. Carol wanted the curtains to not block the window when open. Therefore the rods would be of sufficient length to accommodate the width of the curtains. I measured, leveled, measured, leveled and drilled the holes for the brackets for the rod. The picture below is the result.

The next project was a valence over the kitchen window. Piece of cake - right. I placed the bracket over the window and moved it as directed by Carol to the "perfect" spot. I drilled the first hole and the drill hit a solid object. Good I thought, a stud. I applied pressure and still nothing. I'ts not a stud it is the metal hurricane strap. I now know that every window and door opening has them. It provides added structural support for hurricane protection. I knew that I did not have the right drill bits to punch into the strap. I immediately called Jeff, the local contractor that has done work for us. He came over and he had some difficulty punching through, but he got it done. He installed both brackets and the valance was installed. The finished project is pictured below.

The bedroom window rods were sufficiently wider than the window and therefore I was away from the metal straps. I continue to learn more about this home in Florida.

Authors

Somehow I ended up on the Harris poll email list. Periodically I get a request to complete a survey. Earlier in the year, I received one concerning authors and the type of books I read. Mostly I read mysteries and novels that I view as cleverly written. I was also asked how I read. My answer to that was strictly hard covers and usually purchased new. I like the feel of a hard cover and rarely even look at a paperback. Perish the thought that someday I will only be able to read on an electronic tablet.

I was asked to list my top five favorite authors.

1) Stephen J. Cannell
2) David Baldacci
3) Janet Evonovich
4) Sara Paretsky
5) Robert P. Parker

Mr. Cannell and Mr. Parker both passed away this year. I will miss their writings. Parker had worn out the Spencer series, but I was enjoying the Jesse Stone series.

Last Saturday Carol and I went to DeFuniak Springs to visit a very wonderful and unusual "used book store". I was looking for hard cover books by Cannell. The only ones they had, I already owned. I did find a semi hard cover book with two of his books and I did buy that. My other selection was a hard cover History of Civilization. When I was in high school the most passionate teacher I had taught ancient history. I remember more of that class than most others.

I tend to donate the books to the local library when I am finished. I do keep books by Cannell, Baldacci, and Evonovich. Not sure why, I just do. I know I will miss Mr. Cannell. His books never disappointed me.

Illness - Our 12 days of Christmas

Carol and I woke up the Saturday after Thanksgiving with horrible sore throats. We were congested with runny noses and a mild cough. We did not have fevers and we figured it was a cold and we would muddle through it. Fortunately the sore throat lasted a day and was replaced by blinding headaches for four days. When I am sick I tend to eat more, Carol had little appetite. We were and are doing over the counter stuff, increased liquids and rest as best we could. Today is day 12 and neither of us is a hundred percent. I believe I am closer than Carol. She has a cough that seems to rack her whole body. No time is a good time to be sick, but there is so much to do this time of year. A simple trip to the local market exhausts us. We both have shopping to do for Christmas. Carol has a sewing project to complete. We have a small tree and that required part time effort over three days to complete. I have lights for the outside shrubs and I have no energy to deal with it.

On the bright side we have a warm home and have each other. We will get the shopping done and soon will feel back to normal. Hopefully this is our one and only illness this winter season.

Thanksgiving 2010

This is written the day after also known as "Black Friday". Yesterday we went to Carol's daughter's home in Tallahassee. Its about a 110 mile trip each way. Carol likes to get there early so as to have chat time with Joylene. We walked the dogs who cooperated by completing all of the duties hoped for. Tiny and Gizmo would be left home. They are quite loud and menacing if anyone comes to the door. Together they may weigh 11 pounds. Small but fearsome. Pillo comes with us. At three months he is not fully trained and not able to hold it for several hours. Besides, I thing Connor and Kyrsten are happier to see Pillo than us. Pillo is very good with them and showers them with kisses and attention. Connor at 14 months is so gentle with Pillo.

We managed to load the car with our contribution to dinner and the dog stuff and we were on the road before 8:30 AM. That is real good for us. November has been warmer than normal and we have had early morning fog lately. I was thankful that there was no fog. We live in the central time zone and they live in the eastern time zone. We always deal with the hour difference. I have to know whose time zone when they say dinner is at a certain time. I need to plan as I sometimes get woozy if I go too long without eating. I usually have a package or two of the Lance grilled cheese crackers in each vehicle. Yesterday we took the truck as its easier on my back than Carol's sporty convertible.

Our hosts had ordered a smoked turkey for the main course. They had mashed potatoes, a sweet potato souffle, string bean casserole made with home made cream of mushroom soup, cornbread stuffing, two kinds of cranberry sauce, gravy and Carol's candied sweet potatoes. We also brought Hawaiian rolls from the market. The candied sweets and string bean casserole were fantastic. The dark meat from the turkey was moist and tender. I also had a leg and that had the smokey taste. I enjoyed it. there were three homemade pies, pumpkin, apple and cherry along with a pumpkin custard. I skipped the sweet potato souffle as it had nuts. Needless to say, I did not leave hungry. In fact, I never ate another meal yesterday. I was not looking forward to the drive home on such a full stomach but I never did get drowsy.

Today it is 80 degrees in the city and a little less here on the beach. The weather is supposed to change overnight and we are fore casted to cool down to the high 60's or low 70's. We will see. They fore casted rain for today, but it is what we call "a chamber of commerce day". It is just beautiful.

I hope everyone had as nice a day yesterday, as I did.