I almost posted something on Valentine’s Day. But it was only an almost…….
Andy had a chance to get free roses from his work and brought a dozen red roses to me, another to Alice, and also to Emily. Very nice!
Just now, I am home alone. Actually, Andy is only at work, so I cannot claim that he “has fled”. But Emily and her family are at Chautauqua so they can ski over President’s Day weekend, and Alice and her family are away on a two day holiday at Castaway Bay, the water park in western Ohio owned by Cedar Point. I was there a bit over a year ago and posted about it here: https://thickethouse.wordpress.com/2016/01/03/busy-busy-busy/
But just now I am having a quiet weekend at home, reading, watching my new favorite Acorn TV series Lord and Master, an amusing Dutch mystery series with English subtitles, and “putzing” about. I think I will make some more soup.
Emily posted some photos of Sofia and Clara at Holiday Valley.
Emily and the girls drove up yesterday so they could begin skiing today but Ingmar couldn’t go until after the Farmer’s Market this morning when he sells his famous pretzels and other treats. However, he is safely there now. Our neighbor Meredith posted a photo of Ingmar and their dog Jack on our porch.
It looks as though I’ll be going on a week vacation in Florida at the end of March. We won’t be staying in Venice this time, but on Siesta Key at the south end of Sarasota. That’s closer to some of the things we enjoy doing like visiting the Mote Aquarium, the wonderful Marie Shelby Botanical Garden and the fun Sarasota Jungle Gardens. And one day I will certainly drive down to Venice to visit my friend Nancy. We met in 1980 when our children were in pre-school together. Really? Can it be 37 years already? We were also Girl Scout leaders together. Nancy was just telling me about the really bad red tide in Venice just now. She said if you go outside it affects your breathing and makes you feel unwell. Still, she attends morning yoga on the beach, but says everyone is coughing all the time.
Meanwhile, in other news, my daughter Alice won second place in the Boy Scout chili cook-off competition at the meeting where Nathan became a tenderfoot.
Such a lovely post, full of love and family. We went to Siesta Key in 1999 and thought it so beautiful. The red tide sounds awful. Is Jack a yellow Labrador?
Yes. Jack is our neighbor’s yellow lab, and a very friendly dog.
I have never been to Florida, but if someone invited me to go, I would, having now heard about places that you like to go…. gardens 🙂 But I would try to avoid the Red Tide!
That porch picture is great.
Followed your link to the post of your busy time last year and enjoyed that one just like this one!
The kids on their skis, I bet they are good! The snow looks so pretty.
The last thing you told us, about your daughter winning 2nd in a Chili Cook Off?
Guess what, years ago, I also came in 2nd in a Chili Cook Off at our church. The priest came in first but my son told me that was only because it was a political thing and I should have been first! HA!
A quiet weekend sounds lovely. Hope it was!
If I had better DSL, I would get Acorn It has so many shows I’m interested in. But where I live in the country, streaming anything is iffy. It’s pretty, though. 😉
You know I love your posts filled with family news and pictures!
Congratulations to Alice’s second place in the Chili competition 🙂
I hope you’ll have a great time in Florida. It was where I spent my first and, so far, only US holiday ever, and I really enjoyed it.
I don’t know what a Red Tide is, but it does not sound nice.
Thank you for stopping by and saying hello 🙂
Your life sounds full, and happy, despite the ups and downs along the way.
Last February I took a tumble and broke my right ankle, my left ankle was recovering from Achilles tendon surgery at the time, so you can imagine, last year was not one of my favorites. That being said, we do seem to take the good with the bad, and are grateful to be surrounded by our children and loved ones, and plod along this path called life.
Hope to visit often, I’m so excited to meet you.
~Jo
We just returned yesterday from two days in Venice and three in Orlando at my cousin’s. We drove; something we had not attempted in three years. Perfect driving weather and beautiful views. Too long and visiting is stressful for Dick, but good for me. Happily Venice had not changed at all. We stayed at the Bentley Hotel in Osprey. True about the dang red tide. I wanted to get to eat at Rosebud’s but Dick wanted to come home. A good trip for me and perhaps a letting go of the Florida years for Dick. Have a wonderful week with your family. Let’s try to really meet when you get back. Have a very good trip. Hi to Nancy! Mary Alice Sent from my iPhone
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Getting away at the end of March sounds lovely…all except for the Red Tide thing…sounds miserable. Wonderful to see the children on skis enjoying winter. My grands took their third year of skiing lessons over February vacation and I missed it!