Spring is coming!

Spring IS coming, at least that's what the calendar says. However, I think the Big Man upstairs has another idea. This has been a really strange year, weather wise, never knowing what each day is going to be like. For you, up north, it's snow and I'm sorry for that. Down here, it's just plain cold and a lot of wet precipitation. We did golf last week, the first time in 4 weeks and it's looking rather doubtful if we play this Wednesday. At least today the sun is shinning and it is very pretty out, suppose to get to low 60's I believe.

Our company has come and gone, which is kind of sad. We had a good time while they were here, even though it could have been warmer. The time just goes so fast when you're having fun,(sorry for the old cliche), but it's the truth. We didn't have nearly enough time to totally relax and get all our visit finished. Regardless, I am so happy everyone could make it down.

Fred and I are finally recovered from our sicknesses. Sure was a long time coming. Not too much is going on, just doing our everyday normal thing like everyone else.

Hang on, Spring truly is coming and there will be warmer days ahead.

We're back!

We made it back pretty much on schedule. Can I say we had fun??? No, not exactly. The first day onboard when we had the safety drill, which involved climbing 6 flights of stairs, about did Fred in. He wasn't feeling 100% anyway, and stairs aren't his favorite thing to do, so he had to stop and rest several times. I thought he wasn't ever going to make it. We finally got to deck 11, and found him a chair to sit while we listened to the Muster talk. We took an elevator back to our floor and he crashed. We pretty much rested until time to go to the dining room. That went pretty well, but afterward still came back to our room and got ready for bed. Day 1 and nothing exciting. Day 2; about the same thing, eat, rest, eat rest and by dinner time, "formal" night he was sweating rather profusely and knew he was not well. He sat up all night because he couldn't breath. First thing in the am we went to the infirmary, they took a chest x-ray and checked him out and told us he had pheumonia. Well, there goes the rest of the trip. We spent all day Wednesday in the infimary and twice a day for the duration of the cruise, with instructions to see a doctor as soon as we could once we got back to Zephyrhills. We never got off the boat nor did we go to any shows, and whenever we went anywhere, I had to push him in a wheelchair, which was no easy task. I can honestly say this was not a good time for us. With the exception of one of our ladies falling on her first day and breaking her shoulder and on the second day another gal fell and recked her knee and was in a wheelchair, everyone else had a good time.

We are trying to get back into the routine here, but just seems like there has been so much to do for some reason. Would like to just go outside and get some sun but the weather hasn't been cooperating. It's not suppose to warm up until next week. Golf has been cancelled for the 3rd week in a row. This is the coldest winter in many, many years.

Day before departure.

Here it is Sunday, early afternoon and we set sail tomorrow. Things are pretty much packed with the exception of the bathroom stuff. As I look on the bathroom counter, it looks like a pharmaceutical with all the cold remedies. We have been battling this cold bug for a week now, still coughing, blowing and for me I am still hoarse. I think maybe a cruise is just what the doctor may have ordered for us. Hopefully, we can just relax and enjoy the sunshine. We have no activities planned, just have fun. I will rest much easier once we check into our room. I have visions of being denied for boarding because of our health. I hope we can just make it through the check-in line without coughing our insides out. I really don't think we are contagious, afterall we have had it so long. I just think this if the aftermath.

We are about ready to leave to take Abby to the kennel. I have been trying to explain to her she is going on her own vacation. Somehow, I don't think she understands. I have all her stuff ready to go; blanket, toy, treats, food and her paperwork. Once we get back from that, it will be one step closer to sail time.

This morning, would you believe I set the alarm for 4:10 am so I could go down and watch the Endeavor lift off. I took both cameras, hoping to capture something. I first checked the website to see it was still scheduled to lift off at4:39. It was extremely quiet outside that time of morning. Anyway, after waiting about 5 minutes past liftoff time, and saw nothing, I came back to the house only to learn it was postponed because of the weather. Next scheduled liftoff is tomorrow morning at 4:14. I don't think I will even try it again.

Happy week to everyone, will post when we get back.

Trying to recover

We have been a rather sickly couple this week. Monday, the morning Jason, Lyndsey and Jayley left, we woke up as usual to get ready for our coffee time and meeting at the clubhouse. The only problem this morning when I woke up, I had no voice. Laryngytis had set in. I knew I started coughing on the golf course Sunday, but thought nothing of it. Regardless, I woke up voiceless. Not wanting to give in, we went to the meeting as if nothing was wrong. It didn't take long and I was pantomiming to friends trying to tell them I probably wouldn't play golf Wednesday because I didn't want to take any chances of being sick for our cruise on the following Monday. Do you know how frustrating it is to have an idea but can't spit it out???? By later that same afternoon, Fred started to cough and sputter and by the next morning he was sicker than a dog, coughing, hacking and groaning. Wouldn't you know it, about the time he got into the shower the phone rings. Seeing it was Tom, I attempted to answer...still no voice, but gave it my best shot. We had a couple of laughs and got enough out to tell him Fred would call later.

We are trying extremely hard to get better so we can cruise Monday. By today, Wednesday, things are looking up. Fred isn't doing hardly any coughing and my voice is trying very hard to return. The good Lord willing we will be on that boat!

The Florida lifestyle of shuffleboard

Jayley, our official scorekeeper

Trying to keep warm before we start.

Lyndsey perfecting her form.

Jason is going to show us how it's done.


We haven't played shuffleboard since we came to Florida this year. We had forgotten some of the basics like what do you play to, score wise. It didn't matter, we had fun regardless. When we got back to the house, the kids started packing for their journey home. I think they had a good time and hope they can make it again sometime soon.

They left early Monday morning, about 4:00, drove straight through and arrived home about 11:00 pm. We use to do that, but as we got older and the kids got older we decided that made for a long road trip, so we break it up into a two days drive.

Now, it's going to be a quiet and relaxing week until we cruise on Monday. That is providing we regain our health. I am on day number two of laryngytis, which my darling daughter makes fun of, and Fred started a bad head/sinus thingy. It always hits him hard and he's out for a couple of days. Hopefully, by Monday he will be ready to set sail. The last time he had this was the day before we left to come down here and he had it for a couple of weeks. Just so he can climb the gangplank without coughing and passing out, we will be ok! I figure if he sleeps for a few days he will be fine.

Southport Springs Golf Course

Ready to have some fun, even though it is a bit chilly.

WATCH OUT!! How brave, we'll watch for gators, you hit the ball!

Great form, buy why not, she has a good teacher.

Jayley even had a turn.


We had a really fun day, dispite the cold. Sort of got off to a bad start because the starter put us on the back nine not realizing they were finishing up a scramble. So the first three holes we had to work around other players. After they finished everything was fine. At least we can say we played golf. We didn't keep score, which was a good thing. We had some good shots and some pretty bad ones. It was fun just showing Jason where I play golf every week. I am a little less nervous playing with my gal pals because some are just as bad as I am. Most, however, are much better. At least I have a lot of room for improvement. I think I need to schedule some more lessons this summer.

A day at the pier.

It was cold and windy with no sun. We want to come back on a better day.

I think Jayley had fun.

A family shot. The weather could have been nicer, but it was fun anyway.


Saturday we headed off the St Petersburg Pier. We had never been there before but Shannan and Brendon was telling us how nice it was. It would have been a lot more fun and a lot prettier if the weather had cooperated a little better. It was cloudy, windy and rather nasty. The pictures were taken before we ate which was a good thing because by the time we finished our lunch it started to rain. We hopped a trolly ride to the parking lot and headed back toward Zephyrhills. Fred and I definately will go back when the weather is better. It has been a cold winter for this part of Florida. I'm not complaining because I know what Michigan winters are like.

After we got back from the pier, Jayley wanted to go swimming, so Lyndsey and I took her down so she could swim. She had the pool to herself. It was too cold for anyone else, but she enjoyed it. When she was finished we bundled her little cold body up in a towel and her t-shirt and headed home. I feel so bad that the kids were only here for four days and three of those days were cold, cloudy and windy. That's the chance you take during our winter. Some good days and some not so good.

A day with Jayley

The Manatee Estuary at the Big Bend Power Plant, Apollo Beach

These were the strawberry boats we ate, huge and delicious!

Strawberry Queen Jayley


The day after the kids arrived, Jason and Lyndsey went to Orlando for the PGA show and we took off for Apollo Beach so Jayley could see some manatee. Unfortunately, there weren't nearly as many this time as there were only last week. The water temp had warmed up enough so the manatee headed back out to open water. We did see a few. There were three bus loads of kids, about Jayley's age there at the same time we were, so the museum was impossible but we still managed to have a good time. A woman asked if we would like her to take a picture of all of us in front of the sign so we took her up on it. It didn't turn out too badly.

Afterwards, we headed to Plant City to a place called Parksdale Farms. Get a load out of the size of the strawberry boats; ice cream, strawberries and whipped topping. To our amazement, Jayley ate nearly all of hers. They were delicious. We walked around to see some of the plants before we sat Miss Jayley down on the throne and took her picture. She picked out a T-shirt, big enough to be a sleep shirt, and we picked out some jam and oranges before we headed back to Tropical Acre.

We unloaded and headed for the pool. The water was very warm, but the air was quite cool. With wet bathing suits it was a very chilly ride back to the house. All in all, it was a fun day. I hope Jayley had as much fun as grandma and grandpa did.