Florida Vacation
Warning, lots of pictures!

These are (2) of the greatest traveling
companions. Don't let their
goofy looks fool you. . . . . . .

When things slow down. . . .
they find a wheelchair!!

We visited the Mount Dora art festival.
I saw a shirt that said "I climbed Mt. Dora. . . . Elevation 165'"
It cracked me up. This is My Hunka Hunka
Burnin' love standing in line for a gyro.

This is the Wayland & Joanie Family,
sitting on "Mt. Dora" (?)
not really!

I happened upon this bit of
sculpture that I liked.

This is Mr. Brad and his
gorgeous grand-daughter
The Darling Lainey!!
(Brad was making this face at Bev)

This is a picture of Spanish Moss.
It was everywhere, I loved it so much.
Joanie told me there were some really
creepy red bugs that lived in it, so it lost
a bit of it's "charm" but not much.

We went to Blue Springs and
saw some manatees. They were
so great.

This is the other "Fab Four"
We are standing on South Beach in
Miami!! Can you ever be sad
standing on the beach?

My toes were so happy
to be in the sand!!

We went to the Art Deco district
in South Beach. .. . . . . .

They were so great

This is a couple of old farts
sitting on a bench just "chillin"
It was kind of creepy.

We headed to Little Havana to find a
fine hand rolled cigar. We found some
"FREE" cigar boxes. Such a find
Bev can sniff out all sorts of cool things!

This alligator was in Shark Valley (I know should be gator valley)
It was kinda surreal to be this close!!

Boyd scared the sh$% outta me . . . he
actually touched this guys tail.
He's an idiot!!

Not sure I remember the name
of this bird. This trip made me want
to join the Audubon Society.

Wayland likes to touch
the wildlife!!

He learned from his mama. . . . .

These guys were everywhere!

We ate at this little spot in
Everglade City.

It had no real "style" just lots
of kitsch!

This little motel is where we stayed.
Everglade City could be a fun, lazy,
end destination for some real nice
"down time"

We had this guy provide us
with some canoes to paddle down
the river!!

It was like . . . . . . .real

fun. . . . and

exciting. . . . . .

just like the movies. . . .
Mother Nature is AWESOME

The Fab Four . . . . . .again on Sanabel Island. . . .. shelling

Boyd in front of the space capsule

Sanabel (?)

Saturn 5 rocket

This was the moon rover (?) I think
it looked like it wouldn't even get
into a small-town parade, it was
covered in gold foil.

This is me and mr. at the Space Center.
It was really awesome.

A fruit stand on the way to St. Augustine.

The Fort at St. Augustine.

Mile "0" of the Old Spanish Trail.

My dinner at The Raintree

Boyd's dinner at the Raintree

This is what we found when we arrived
home. Thanks to the Lloyd Brothers.

Triple Thanks to my Fabulous Oldest Brother and
his Outrageous wife. We had a great trip. They were
so gracious to take us and share their vacation and
sacrifice time with their kids to show us a good time.

p.s. we need to talk and
"square up" what we
owe you!!

Sweet

I saw this picture and it made me smile. I was thinking of what a wonderful thing it is to grow older with a partner. I envision me and my Hunka Hunka Burnin' love growing old together and still holding hands.

SLEEP DEPRIVED

I should wear a sign like this. I tried every trick in my arsenal of tricks to try to get to sleep last night. I was still up at 1:49, staggering around the house. Boyd asks: "What would you like me to do to help you?" I answered: "Just shoot me, they put horses and cows out of their misery. . . .why not me?" So, I'm going to all amped up on caffeine this morning and try to make it thru Thursday, notoriously "The most tired day of the week"!

The easiest job ever. . . . .

Iwant to be a weatherman, they have a cake job. They can be wrong EVERY.SINGLE.DAY and still get paid, and I'm sure quite handsomely!! I want them to be held accountable. (I think that only peeps with "super powers" should be able to forecast the weather!! I need to be careful, because I have a little grandson who could be a weather forcaster-he's that much in love with weather. But, in my opinion he does come close to having "super powers") I want sunshine, I want, I want, I want. . . . . . . .actually, I need some sunshine.

58 Years
That’s a long time.
That’s how long my Mom and Dad have been married.
I’m proud of them and their commitment.
That is rare in this day and age.
They have been a wonderful example to me.
Between my parents and my brothers and sister
there are 223 + years of marriage. I think I’m right:
B & B = 33 + years
D & S = 32 + years
P & B = 28 + years
P & G = 30 + years
G & J = 21 + years
L & S = 21 + years
This is an honorable accomplishment.
This is a hard thing to do.
This is a rewarding endeavor.
Congratulations on an amazing achievement and
an awesome couple – My Dad and Mom

Clarification. . . . .

I know that I'm always saying that I love the change of seasons. I love the snow. I do love the change of seasons and the snow, but I DON'T love the inversion that comes with cold and no snow. i like the snow because if we keep having a storm blow through we don't end up with air we can chew. I've included on this post some pictures that have one thing in common. . . . . . .sunshine, or memories we made in sunshine. I miss blue skies, I need to see blue skies, I'm tired of taking a wide sweep around my car because I don't want to rub against her and leave the filth of humanity on my jeans. I think this is what is referred to as the "winter doldrums" I have a few passes on my 10-punch tanning pass. I may go and see if I can fake my brain into thinking that it's observed sunshine. Wish me luck.

Sunshine thru the window of my "green room"

Lazy days of summer, just me and Benny

This fat chick is me. . . . . soaking in

some rays in Chicago in 2009.

I can almost feel the warmth on my cheeks

and the tops of my feet. . . . .ah

Mr Bryson eating ice cream this last summer

A BBQ with Boyds siblings
BBQ's are generally in the summertime.

Boyd hiding in the geraniums at

a winery in California last spring.

Can you feel the sun. . . . . .ummmmm

Boyd and I in Chicago, the sun on

our face and the wind

in our hair. Yeah

Alex and Viv on the lawn last Spring.

Alex and Milo blowing bubbles,

does anything say sunshine like

a bottle of bubbles?

2010 Reads
I decided to keep track of all the books I read this year. I might have left off 2-3. I didn't think about it until close to the end of January. But here's a list my books.

Under the Dome
The Traveler **
The Last Anniversary
North River **
The Hunger Games
Catching Fire
The Book Thief **
Open (Biography-Andre Aggasi)
Broken for you
Night over water
The Key to Rebeccah
The Cradle **
The Shanghai Girls **
Shutter island
Major Pettigrews Last Stand **
Hollywood Moon
Blockade Billy - Morality
Sarah's Key **
Baseball Box Prophesy
Memoirs of a Geisha (actually listened to this on CD)
Songs Without Words **
The Heretics Daughter **
That Old Cape Magic
The Red Scarf
Molokai
Hawaii
The Lost Symbol
Shades of Milk and Honey **
Water for Elephants **
Peace like a River **
Fat Man's Daughter (couldn't finish- approx. 100 pages read)
Riding Lessons
Murder on the Cliffs
The Girl who Chased the Moon **
Prayers for sale **
The Body in the Sleigh
The Scarpetta Factor
Long Division (couldn't finish approx. 100 pages read)
The Sugar Queen **
Garden Spells **
Driven (Biography Larry Miller)
The Secrets Sisters Keep **
While My Sister Sleeps
Breathless
Full Dark, No Stars **
Odd Thomas **
Brother Odd

The ones that I've ** are books I would recommend.

There was a time I only read biographies.

There was a time I only read female authors.

My dream job would be to work for a publishing house and

read/edit books for a living. I've made a resolution for

the coming year to read more of "The Classics" and

less of the "light fluff"