Curious Mind

Geek Squad at Eleanor's house Dec 29 afternoon. Geek was setting up Eleanor's new computer. Geek Squad is a national company that individuals and companies can hire to do in home and in office computer service. It's realtively new company. I like the paint job on their Geek Mobile.

Eleanor has just adjusted the pink flamingos which had blown around.  

Pat holding a recent rag quilt and showing it to Jerry. This is a fleece so called "Rag Quilt." It is a kit from JoAnne Fabric Stores. It is a one thickness quilt kit that only requires straight stitching. Not seen in this picture are all the half inch cuts around the edges of each square that give the quilt a rag look.

This shows some of the work Jerry and Jerry did while they were here visiting Eleanor. Note the shape edging and mowed grass. The tent cover for the golf cart is new. It stood up to last Saturday's severe wind. 

Here is where the blue pieces of plastic are coming from. The wind keeps breaking off little pieces of the plastic that has turned brittle because of the sun. 

The blue flowers you see sprouting in Eleanor's lawn are not a type of violet. The blue roofs are going to pieces and are breaking up in little pieces and the wind is blowing them all around. In this picture you see only the larger pieces. There many little pieces. 

The winter solstice was a week ago, but this was the first time we had a clear view at sunrise. The street running east is Tarpon St and summer solstice will be an equal distance on the other side of the street. I'll show you that in six months. 

Here's the 59 bulb report for today. Many blossoms now. We're curious as to what will be the next blubs to bloom. A reader writes, "How did you get 59 bulbs into that pot. Answer. This pot of bulbs was a gift from Bruce and Cynthia Morrill. It came from Plow and Hearth. The name is "Bulb Garden" and the web site is www.plowandhearth.com where you can look it up. Today, Dec 30 a smaller blue blossom has started to appear. It's been fun wondering about what's next.

This week's book review by James Abraham is about Red Sox baseball. Here's his opening paragraph.

"Early on, while the snow still flew in New England, writers Stephen King and Stewart O'Nan had summer on their minds. The two were ardent Red Sox fans, which is akin to saying, at least until last year, that they believed in futility."

Any baseball fans should enjoy this review. Take the link http://www.vicopresscom.blogspot.com and enjoy.

First blossom of our 59 bulb pot. 58 more to go. Picture taken in the morning watering in the kitchen sink. The early sun was shinging on the blossom. 

Cleaning out the shed. It's enough to set
one's hair on fire. Jerry on left, Eleanor McDevitt seated.

Summer weather, snowman, Fourth of July all at one time. Only in Florida in December. 

What we really look like down here these days. 

In the forground and empty lot. The next being mobile home beingdemolished. Behind that a new mobile home and over all The Flag. Long may it wave. 

Jerry McDevitt, Eleanor's son. 

The table runner being held by Pat Stevens just prior to it being delivered to our neighbor Eleanor Mc Devitt. 

From left to right, Eleanor McDevitt, Anita, a neighbor and Pat Stevens. Pat has just delivered a quilted table runner to Eleanor. 

From left to right, Jerry and Jerry McDevitt, Eleanor McDevitt, Anita, and Pat Stevens. Jerry and Jerry are visiting for a few days. 

The old building in the background and the start of the new building in the forground. These rafters are for our new 40 foot by 100 foot building which will replace the building in the background and the office building that was behind it on the other street. Demolition and construction will be starting soon. Good news. 

From the end of my driveway. Eleanor on her three wheeler. Behind her the two mobile homes on the corner have been taken down.  

Here's an end of my driveway shot. A double wide coming in for further down our street. 

Santa's Elves have just been to Eleanor's checking up on her. 

From Santa. 59 blubs being watered. We're excited to see what they will be.  

Lucy on table.

Curious in VT asks, "What did you do with Lucy during Charley while you and Pat were at the Shelter?" Lucy stayed home, probably under our bed in the bedroom. We think so because she never did that before, but after Charley she often disapears and we again see her coming out from under the bed. Actually that was a very safe place for her to be. The mobile could have come down around her and she would have easily survived. Our mobile home is 300 feet from the club house we used as a shelter. After the all clear sounded I came to the house and feed and patted her. I visited once or twice a day during the days were at the shelter until the mobile home evacuation order was lifted. Shelters rules are, "No pets allowed. Period." Make other arrangements.

Pat and Lucy waiting for Santa Claus. 

Hey, you people up in Michigan, Vermont and New Hampshire stop sending that cold weather down here. 47F here this morning. We aren't used to it and don't want to. We don't have the clothing. We don't have block heaters for our cars. Think how cold it is getting into a 47F car and how long it takes to warm up. Mercy please, it's the holiday season.

Yesterday Pat and I put up holiday decorations. And we did some picking up. Sorry to say there was still some mess and disorganization from hurricane season that hadn't been touched. We started touching it. Pat feels better. The many months of antibotic IV daily and doctor visits weekly took a toll on us both in addition to the hurricanes. We are both doing better now.

I look at Pat's great right toe twice a day, every day. It's looking better all the time. The toe got large because of the infection. It can take two to six months to return to normal size after the infection is cured. Pat's toe is about half back to normal size and keeps getting smaller week by week.

Our dearest nearest neighbor Eleanor is doing better from her shingles. Wednesday morning Eleanor reported to me that she had turned a corner and was having some energy. Yes, it built day by day. I see her returning to her former self. Good news, that.

Here is a small wall hanging Pat made a few years ago and just got it out to look at again. The name of the pattern is "Attic Windows" and Pat has wrapped it up for a present. Pat is holding the quilt.