Gustav Makes For Soggy Weekend

Gustav may be in the middle of the gulf but he is wreaking havoc on us here in Sarasota. We have gotten several inches of rain yesterday and today and the wind has been incredible. We have gotten more rain and wind than we got from Fay and it landed a lot closer to us. Our pond is full and I do not know if it can handle any more rainfall.

Misty hates the rain. She hates to get her little feet wet and I have to drag her out because she just does not want to get into the grass.

Friday night I went to Scraptherapy and got a lot done. I completed these layouts Friday night. I had started several of them but just had to put pictures to them. We had a great time and it was fun to laugh with everyone.

I have been working around the house for the past several days and I have gotten a lot done. My floors are spotless and the majority of the house is clean. I just have my bedroom to go and that will get completed tomorrow. I was going to go to bingo today but with the rain I just decided to stay in and keep dry. Even found time for an afternoon nap. Isn't that what everyone does on a rainy day.

Hopefully the sun will come out tomorrow and I plan to go to the pool. Need some sunshine. Have a great Labor Day.

Traveling Pants Movie

I went to see the movie Traveling Pants 2. Like the first movie there are four young women that are now starting college and go their separate ways and each of their journeys. They are still best friends and they still share the pants. Their friendship is tested in this movie but in the end it all works out.

What hit me so hard and was so personal to me was one of the story lines. One of the girls lost her mother early in life. Her father basically raised her. Her father decided that he did not want the grandmother in her life. The movie really doesn't say why just that the father thought it was best for his daughter to not see or talk to her grandmother anymore. The last time she remembers seeing her grandmother she was 6 years old. She comes home from college to visit her father and finds some old letters her grandmother wrote to her over the years. She confronted her father and they had a huge fight. She wanted to know why her father denied her her grandmother. The father's only comment was, "I thought it was best for you."

In the movie she makes a trip to find her grandmother. She has not seen her in 12 years. They are reunited and the daughter now knows her grandmother never stopped loving her. For the daughter this brought great peace and joy.

I teared a bit because this is exactly what is happening to me. Why do the children have to suffer? Why do grandmothers have to suffer when they have done nothing wrong? These questions weigh heavy on my heart.

Scrapbook Room Is All Done

I have finally completed my scrapbook room. I special ordered two counters. One is 10 feet long and the other is eight feet long. On one counter I have my home office and the other is my scrapbook area. At the Habitat home improvement center I found 3 used cabinets that would work perfectly. I sanded them down and then painted them white. They were originally kitchen cabinets and work perfectly for what I wanted.

Over the past year I have been buying the craft cubes one at a time. I finally have enough to store all of my materials plus they look great. The one blank wall will eventually have a futon which will double as a guest room. Right now it just has Misty's pillow where she sleeps while I work.

I added the Making Memories wall center which I picked up at Michael's with one of my 40% off coupons. On the other side of the window is my memory and inspiration board. I painted the frame white and then put in a piece of sheet metal. It is completely magnetic and a great place to hang memorabilia and inspiration items.

I'm still having some issue with cords. The wall plug under the computer area is not working so I have to run power from the other wall. My handyman is coming next week to replace the plug. I'll then be able to hide the plugs in the white box. I drilled holes on each side of the counter so I could run cords from the top to the bottom. This works really well and home depot even had the inserts to put in the holes.

I'm really proud of my do it yourself room. It took me a while but it is finally done.

Will Gustav Come Our Way

Well yesterday I would have said Gustav was going to Texas but today they moved it slightly to the east. We are still only on the fringes but we'll get the wind and maybe some rain. And we will get this Labor Day weekend. This reminds me of many years ago when I bought my first house in Tampa in the late 70's. The week after I moved in we had my one and only threat of a hurricane during my tenure in Tampa. It was Labor Day weekend also. I ended up with a house full of people for a few days and got my entire house interior painted with all of the extra help. It was a great party and the hurricane never came on shore. I hope the same holds true for this weekend. But at least I have all of the supplies this time.

These two layouts are from tonight's scrap and dash and art bar projects. It's always fun to get out and have this creative burst midweek. All I have to do is bring the photos and they have everything set up to create the layouts.

I'm almost finished cleaning and moving my scrapbook room around. Photos tomorrow because I will be done tomorrow if it kills me. My goal is to have my entire house spic and span by Monday.

Had a doctor appointment today for my monthly B12 shot and this should help with my energy level. They also did a blood test to see if my levels have come up. My B12 anemia deficiency should be at 600. Three months ago it was 100. This definitely is to low. If it has not come up significantly I am going to have to go to twice a month shots. As the nurse explained it to me, my levels are so low that when I get my shot my body says oh boy there is some B12 and eats it all up and I don't have anything left for the rest of the month. This according to the doctor is a hereditary problem. The crux of it is that by mid-day I am exhausted and can't do anything. So hopefully we'll resolve this soon because the past couple of days have been awful and the shot I had today will take about 48 hours to work. So hopefully this will pass soon.

2007 Birthday Book

I have been working on this book since March. I have finally finished it and love how it turned out. I used Creative Cafe products for the entire book. Enjoy.

Gray Skies Again

We are still getting the effects of Fay. The skies are gray and we have gotten a lot of rain. I thought we were in the clear today and so Jackie, Barbara and I were going to plant mom's new shrubs. As soon as we got started the rain came and boy was it a downpour.

It was probably for the best since when we actually got to digging we found that her planter bed was filled with red ants. These guys are nasty and they are fast to bite as my feed will attest to. I ran home and got some ant killer but the planting had to be put off. It will take several days for the ant killer to work so we can get back to the planting.

Spent the rest of the day treating my feet with deodorant. Yes that was my sister's solution and guess what it worked. I settled in with a good book and a nap. A perfect way to spend a rainy Saturday afternoon.

I also spent some time thinking about Lucas. Happy birthday little guy.

Hope everyone has a great Saturday.

Happy Birthday Lucas

Happy Birthday Lucas. Today is your special day. (Well actually tomorrow but I am writing this on the eve of your birthday.) Two years ago we were all so excited about your arrival. I could not wait to see you. You are such a special little boy.

I have been working on your photo album. I have gotten a little behind and knew that I had to get your first year going. I have done so many pages on you but had not done your first days. So here are the first few days of your life. Can you tell how you are loved.

Right now you can't really remember your grandma but one day you will and you will know how much I love you. Your daddy says I can not call or write to you so the only way I have to wish you a happy birthday is to do so on my blog and my diary blog. I know you can't read but someday you will be able to and you will know how I feel.

Since I can't write to you or send you a birthday present I have bought you a $100 Savings Bond and one day I will be able to give it to you. I also have an ABC album for you but that to shall have to wait. Love Grandma.

Happy Birthday Mom

We celebrated mom's birthday today. I took mom to lunch and to two quilt shops. We didn't buy much but did have a good time. We also figured out how to finish a purse mom has been working on for several months. We had to go back to the quilt shop to get the final directions.

Tonight Jackie made dinner and I grilled the pork chops and it made for a great dinner. We played cards afterward and then gave mom this fantastic birthday cake. It was so good and we'll probably be eating it again on Saturday.

Our gift to mom is to replant her planter in front of her house. All of her bushes had died and it has been bugging her so on Saturday the three of us are going to plant brand new bushes. I hope the humidity goes down by Saturday.

We have been having some beautiful sunsets this week because of Tropical Storm Fay. Just wanted to share a little beauty with everyone.

Back To Normal

I think things are back to normal after Fay. The porch is all put back together, the trash has been picked up (a day late) and most of the supplies have been put back on the shelf. Went to water aerobics this morning and there were only four of us. I guess the gray skies kept everyone away but I must say it felt really good to work out and get those muscles going.

Went to Scrap and Dash tonight. After all it is Wednesday. One layout celebrates some of the women in my life and the other highlights my grandson Jack. Thanks everyone for the support on that issue.

Many people wanted to know if I thought it was worth the evacuation. All I can say is that if we had not gone when Sarasota Country ordered the evacuation I am sure that Fay would have come directly at us. Sure it was a lot of bother and expense but none of that matters if my family is safe and that is all that matters. We did choose a hotel over a shelter. I just can not image going to a middle school and taking all of the bedding you need plus putting Misty in a cage and leaving her in a room full of other dogs. We would just not have been comfortable. Many people where I live did not evacuate and the next time I wonder if they do stay and something happens how devastating that will be for everyone. It is always better to be safe, so yes, I'll evacuate the next time. I just hope there is not a next time.

Where is Fay going next?

Where will Fay go next? That is the biggest question of the day.

Living in Florida we accept the consequences of hurricane season but this is the first time that I have faced the challenge. I lived in Tampa and Clearwater for 25 years and never saw a hurricane or tropical storm. What a lot of work it is to get ready. There are trips to Home Depot and Publix. You have to have the supplies. Next you have to take everything inside. This includes trash cans, grills, hoses, recycling bins and bicycles.

You pack up all of your valuables and important papers and head to a hotel. I was freaking out about my scrapbooks. There was no room to take them with me so I packed them all in water tight storage bins and hoped for the best. I put some in the refrigerator (my mom's idea because these rarely get wet) and the stove. I walked out the door and hoped for the best.

At the hotel right down the street were people just like me and my sister and mom. All hoping for the best. Most of these people were from Camelot so we knew a lot of people. Misty was the official greeter. She loved the adventure.

When we woke up this morning we knew that we had gotten lucky. Fay headed to Fort Myers instead of Sarasota. In fact we did not even get a drop of rain. We had wind and the Sky's were gray but no rain. After leaving the hotel I decided to drive out to the beach to check out the waves. Guess what there were no waves. I was so disappointed. The beach looked as it always does, nice and calm.

So another day in paradise. Yes but paradise comes with 90 degree temperatures and 90 percent humidity and that is exactly what we had today. Was all the work and expense worth the evacuation. Yes it was because we are all safe. Fay could have come to visit.

Today I just took it easy and caught up on my sleep. That is what gray sky's and rainy days are for. We just didn't get he rain.

We're moving out

Tropical storm Fay is bearing down on us and Sarasota County has ordered a mandatory evacuation for all mobile home owners. So we are leaving mid-day tomorrow for a hotel. I was able to get a hotel so we do not have to go to a shelter. It is a bit complicated with Misty and this will work out better.

If you need to reach me you can call 941-3501367 or 1377 I can't remember.

We've gone through the checklist and I think we have it together. I am totally freaking out about my photos so all of my albums are in plastic bins. At least I can try. I haven't been to the store and that is going to be a nightmare in the morning. Guess I am getting up early.

Wish us luck. With any luck it will go out into the Gulf.

Almost Done

Construction is almost done. The guest bathroom is done and the master bathroom is almost done. All they have to do is to install the threshold. Would you believe they couldn't find the threshold and now have to buy a new one. They worked Friday night until 7:30 and it was just to late to go buy a new one and then get it installed. I spent most of the day yesterday scrubbing the two bathrooms. You would not believe the amount of dirt and dust they created. But both are now sparkling.

The new counter top in my scrapbook room is installed and now I am working on getting this space together. I have emptied my desk but it is still sitting in the middle of the room. I have two trash bags full of stuff. Why do we hold onto all of this stuff. Hopefully I will get the desk out of the room tomorrow and work can really begin.

The two layouts above are from Scrap and Dash this week. Kim did an awesome job on the design of these layouts. These three little boys are so adorable and I love them so much.

Mom made dinner for us last night and it was great. We played some cards afterward. Yesterday morning we had breakfast at the clubhouse for the monthly get together. Tried exercising afterward but the thunder and lightening came to visit.

Watching Fay closely. As you can see on the forecast Sarasota is right in the middle of the path. I'm getting my kit together in case we have to evacuate. Keep your fingers crossed. Have a good weekend everyone. I am going to go play bingo and relax on this Sunday.

Thanks For the Support

Thank you everyone for your support over the past week. It means everything to me. Enough said, that's done.

I still have construction workers in my house. They are still not done. They are the slowest workers I have ever seen. The contractor must be paying them by the hour because it seems like they are here but nothing seems to get done. We have finished the guest bathroom except for the molding around the ceiling line. Yeah. Today they started on the soft floor in the master bathroom. Even though they are slow they do really good work.

Tom it was good talking to you this past weekend. Hope your birthday was a good one and that you are now feeling better.

Played bingo last night and boy were we lucky. Mom, Jackie and I each won two bingo's. That six between us. It is always so much more fun to win. Thanks Mom for making the sandwiches.

Hope everyone has been enjoying the Olympics. I think I have watched every hour of it. Our athletes are amazing. I am also so impressed by the Chinese. I just wish their methods were better.

I'm a little behind in posting the balance of my July layouts so here they are.

Missing in Action

Well I've been gone for awhile. No excuses except that my heart just wasn't into putting my feelings on paper or cyberspace as it is. My life has been in complete turmoil for the past month.

A big factor for me has been this bathroom repair. My bathroom has now been torn up for almost a month. We are gearing into the finish line I think but boy has this been a job. My contractor is a big talker and no action. He finally has a guy that knows what he is doing and I think we just might get this done. They have gotten the floor repaired and all of the mold is gone. The new window is in and the drywall is up. The final sand was today so my entire house has a layer of dust. This will be a big job to clean up. The tile has been laid and the grout is in. Tomorrow John is going to paint the walls and put in the baseboards and the toilet may even go back in. Now you may think this is then end. But . . .

The other bathroom has a soft floor. What this means is that the floor is deteriorating and could fall through at any time. So they have to tear out this floor and put in a new one. This will be much simpler I think because they have no mold issues and foundation issues. So I think the master bathroom will be done by next Tuesday but I am not going to hold my breath.

We've had some really bad storms and I had no telephone or Internet for several days. Got all of that back today. The street light in front of my house was hit by lightning. The boom was so loud I thought it hit the house. According to Verizon it actually fried my telephone box and they had to replace it with a new one.

I had a really heartwarming phone call today. A gentleman called and asked for Jim and I gave him the sad news. The person was actually a student of Jim's from 45 years ago in Kalamazoo. He told me that they had had a reunion and were talking about teachers. He said Jim's name came up and they talked about what a great teacher he was. This James said he just decided to see if he could find Jim and see how he was. The student told me how much his students thought of him and they all had great stories to tell at the reunion. It warms my heart that there are people out there that have such great memories of my Jim. It was great talking to this student.

I'll be better with blogging and promise to post some scrapbook pages and photos of my finished bathrooms. Life doesn't always hand us roses but please I could use less lemons.