Seitz & Scenes

Almost.....

2011-11-02T09:43:00.001-04:00

Look how close I got to a hole-in-one!! This was my birdie shot on Bonita Pass golf course yesterday, hole #5. I've always said this is my favorite course in The Villages. This just confirmed it for me.

(Note: The ego got humbled real quick after this. I got a 6 on the next hole!)

The View from our Lanai

2011-10-26T07:00:00.000-04:00

They started building houses behind us. Yay! Some people may think that is a bad thing, but we think it's great. It's been literally a dust bowl behind our house since we moved in. But the building has been going crazy for the last two weeks.

This was last week.

This is this week. The concrete truck in the background is actually pouring at the house across the street from the house in our backyard. So our view of the golf course is about to come to an end. But so is all the dirt on the lanai.

Happy Birthday Sam!

2011-08-22T07:01:00.000-04:00

I wish we were together at Disney World to celebrate your birthday. Have a fun day. See you next week!

Love,
Grammy

Happy Birthday Leah

2011-06-10T07:24:00.000-04:00

Our baby turns 30 today. Wow, how did that happen? We love you Leah. Happy Birthday. Make it a great one!

Adventures in Moving

2011-06-01T06:00:00.000-04:00

We can never make anything easy. We closed on our new house on Monday, May 16 and on our villa on Friday, May 20. But the buyers had agreed to let us stay in the villa until the end of the month. That would mean that we had two weeks to move. So a nice, easy, leisurely move, right? Have you ever done anything with Gary? Nothing is easy and leisurely. He decided on Tuesday afternoon after our closing that we should move that day. So he rented a truck and we started moving furniture. We finally dragged the mattress into the house on Tuesday night and got to bed at midnight. Then Wednesday we finished moving everything else, cleaned the villa and were out of there by 3:00pm. Whew!

Because it was such a whirlwind I didn't get any pictures except this one of him moving the grill on the back of the golf cart.

In the end, I'm glad it worked out this way. By the end of the month we were pretty well settled into the new house. I'll take some pictures with furniture and post them soon.

More Disney Fun

2011-05-31T06:40:00.000-04:00

I'm so happy that Samuel and Leah love Disney World as much as I do. We had a great time!

He's over 40

2011-05-31T06:39:00.001-04:00

40 inches that is. Samuel was finally tall enough to ride some of the "big" rides at Disney World.

First up was Test Track at Epcot.

Then Soarin'.

And finally, on to Magic Kingdom and Splash Mountain.

Way to go Sam!!

Playing at the Lego store in Downtown Disney

2011-05-31T06:39:00.000-04:00

Leah, Samuel and I went to Disney World for an overnight trip while they were visiting us. After we checked into the hotel we went to Downtown Disney and played at the Lego store.

Panera

2011-05-31T05:41:00.000-04:00

We had been waiting for the new Panera Bread to open in The Villages. It's at the town square and finally opened while Leah was here. They had a coupon in the paper to get a $5 gift card with the purchase of the You Pick Two. Of course, Gary scrounged around and got multiple coupons. The special lasted for three days. You know how this deal works for Gary. You buy one You Pick Two special and get a $5 gift card. Then you order another You Pick Two and use the gift card from purchase #1 to partially pay for purchase #2. This could go on forever. Luckily for me I only had to eat there 5 times in three days!

Leah was tired of the place too! But we had fun eating on the patio with the boys.

Fun with the boys...and Leah too!

2011-05-30T21:29:00.000-04:00

Right after Easter Leah and the boys came for a visit. We love having grandkids in The Villages (especially ours!!)

The New House

2011-05-30T07:00:00.000-04:00

As most of you know I returned to The Villages late Tuesday night April 12. By Thursday afternoon I had picked out a new house. We had discussed buying a bigger house while we were away this winter. So when Gary gave me the go-ahead I didn't waste any time. It has taken me some time however to get pictures ready for you all. I took lots of BEFORE pictures. This is the house before we even closed. So there is absolutely nothing in it.

Okay, click HERE for the slideshow for anyone who wants to see every last detail. I'm warning you it is pretty boring.

We've since added a laminate floor in the office, put in closet organizers, had blinds installed, and bought a washer and dryer. Then we just moved in our furniture from the villa. All of the furniture works pretty well except for the living room sofas. We don't have a kitchen table yet but we can sit at the breakfast bar to eat.

I'll post more AFTER pictures as we make progress on getting settled in. The guest room and bath are ready for anyone who wants to come visit!

I love this kid!!

2011-05-30T06:59:00.000-04:00

Golfing in the Fort

2011-05-30T06:00:00.000-04:00

So what do you do when you are stuck in Fort Wayne with cold weather in March and you really want to be in Florida playing golf? You go to the golf show. You even stand in line to be one of the first 200 in the door to get free passes to play golf that you can't use because by then you will be in Florida.

It was a really fun day. Check out the golf flip-flops that we tried on. No we didn't buy them. We considered it but got sensible before we handed over the credit card.

Now that doesn't mean that we remained sensible all day. We bought two of these approach bags. You put your wedges and putter in them and hook them on your golf bag. Then you can carry just this little bag toward the green and not have to lay your clubs on the ground. Sounds like something that everyone needs, right?

Check out this cute little game some guy was selling.

Finally the weather in Fort Wayne got a little nicer and Gary was able to shag some balls behind Kevin's house. He told me he didn't hit any houses doing this. Do you think I should believe him?

Dad's Birthday

2011-05-29T09:55:00.000-04:00

Since May is almost over I really need to post about March activities! We all met at Bob Evans in Columbia City for my dad's birthday on March 6. Even though dad was the guest of honor he somehow got overshadowed by great-grandchildren (aren't they precious?)

Check out this cute video of Allison trying a lemon for the first time.

Ketchup

2011-05-29T09:36:00.000-04:00

That's right. It's time to do some "ketchup" blogging. I realized that my last post was 2/28/11. Would you like to hear my list of excuses?

1. It was tax season and I was extremely busy.
2. I bought a house 42 hours after arriving back in Florida.
3. It was tax season and I was extremely busy.
4. I bought a house 42 hours after arriving back in Florida.

I guess those really are the only two excuses I have but they are big ones...big enough to list twice! Now that we are somewhat settled into our new house I'll try to get caught up to the present. Keep checking back for what has happened in the Seitz household since February.

Changing Colors CARS

2011-02-28T10:39:00.000-05:00

The boys are obsessed with Disney CARS. They have quite a collection but just recently got some that change colors with hot and cold water. I have Sam all set up this morning at the sink with one side with warm water and the other side with cold.

Warm Water

Cold Water

Video tutorial for custom designs.

Tattoos gone wrong

2011-02-28T10:25:00.000-05:00

We're in Chicago visiting Leah and her family. I brought the boys some monster trucks and they each came with a sheet of tattoos. So of course they wanted to try them out. They didn't wear so well overnight.

So where did all that ink go? Check it out!

Maybe I CAN get done early...

2011-02-22T07:14:00.000-05:00

A friend of mine knows how hard I have been working during tax season and that I'm headed back to Florida just as soon as I can finish. So she found me someone that could help me out.

This is her grandson. Isn't he adorable? I think he just might have a future as a tax accountant, what do you think?

Cold and Gray for the Rest of Your Life?

2011-02-20T06:41:00.000-05:00

I found this clip on someone's blog this morning. What a great summary of winter!

So what happened to those couple of nice days when we all got excited that Spring was just around the corner? I was back in my down-filled coat yesterday! And the predictions for the next few days is just ugly. Yuck! I want sunshine! And 80 degree days!

Are you "octurnal"?

2011-02-17T07:00:00.004-05:00

Cute story from last weekend. Sam and I are driving home from Wal-Mart on Friday afternoon. He starts a conversation.

"I want to be octurnal. That means that you don't sleep at night. People aren't octurnal, but I want to be. I want to stay up all night."

Whatever! (Remember, his mom said she didn't want to know.) So we let him stay up as long as he wanted. I'm not sure what time he did fall asleep but I do know that he woke Gary up at 12:30AM to start a new video on the TV.

Here's Mr. Nocturnal during most of the birthday party we went to the next day!

Sleeping Two Boys in a Twin Bed

2011-02-16T07:00:00.000-05:00

We pulled the twin bed out of the attic for Samuel and Joel last weekend. Worked perfectly. One at each end. Now if they would have just been interested in actually sleeping we would have been all set!

Monster Trucks and Princess Dresses

2011-02-15T07:00:00.000-05:00

When we were buying cars at Wal-Mart on Friday afternoon, Samuel and Joel thought that Kaylee would like to have one also. They picked out a cute Monster Truck for her birthday gift. Guess what? She loved it. And I loved that the birthday girl wore her princess dress for the party. What a great combo!

Mom doesn't want to know....

2011-02-14T10:25:00.000-05:00

Samuel and Joel spent the weekend with us while Ed & Leah finished the remodel of their upstairs bedrooms. Gary met Leah halfway on Friday to pick up the boys. She started to give Gary some instructions and then said, "Oh, never mind. I don't even want to know what happens!" So, Leah, you need to move on to another blog while I share the little indulgences with the boys.

Having a snack at Grammy's office.

Twizzlers and TV

Breakfast in bed

Cheesy Rolls at Taco Bell

Leah did however, give us a Wish List for the boys for the weekend.

Disney Cars - check - I think we made 3 trips.
Bubble Bath - check - only Samuel enjoyed it.
McD's Happy Meal - check - complete with monster trucks.

We had a fabulous time with them. Samuel said he was going to stay for nine days but Gary took them back this morning!

Surviving Winter

2011-02-10T08:57:00.000-05:00

I guess I must really have thin Florida blood now. I don't know how I survived winter in the past. I am FREEZING!!! So for all my Florida friends...this post is for you.

This was the scene outside our door earlier this week.

Then this morning the temps were below zero. I took a screen shot of the weather widgets on my blog when I got to work this morning. The Villages 59...Fort Wayne -4. Brrr!

Right after Christmas Leah and I went shopping for new coats. I knew I needed something warmer to get through the winter. I found a down-filled Land's End coat at Sears. I love this thing.

But the ultimate is Gary's find at Goodwill. Our little Honda Fit didn't come with many options. I don't even think heated seats are available. But check this out. It has a gel center that you warm in the microwave and then insert in the pocket. It keeps you toasty warm when you sit on it.

Gotta love that man and his shopping trips!

His Team Won!!

2011-02-07T08:20:00.000-05:00

First you need to know how Gary became a Green Bay Packers fan (he could just as easily have been a Steelers fan). Salvation Army ran a 1/2 price sale on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. So Gary comes home with this shirt for $1.50. He actually watched the game and rooted for the Packers. We now have a championship shirt for sale - only $2.00 (he'll even wash it first)!!

This just isn't right!!

2011-02-02T13:41:00.000-05:00

There should not be snow and a Florida license plate on the same car! And this was after we brushed off most of the snow and put the car in the garage.

How far is Florida?

2011-01-21T06:33:00.000-05:00

51 degrees away, that's how far!! I have a weather widget in the right column of this blog. Do you ever look at it? It shows the current temperature both in Fort Wayne and The Villages. Right now (6:30 AM) the difference is 51 degrees! It's 61 degrees in The Villages and 10 degrees here in Fort Wayne. No wonder I'm cold!!

Karen's Birthday

2011-01-20T15:08:00.000-05:00

We got together last Saturday night to celebrate Karen's birthday. What a fun evening!

Love ya, Karen. Glad you're in the same decade as me now (at least for a couple of years)!

How will I wait until April now?

2011-01-15T06:30:00.001-05:00

Gary and I went to Dick's Sporting Goods one night this week. Big mistake!! They had a clearance sale going on and I bought a set of golf clubs. Too good to pass up but now the wait to get back to The Villages will seem even longer! All I can do is hope for at least one unusually warm day between now and April so I can go try them out while I'm in Indiana.

How Cute is This?

2011-01-15T06:30:00.000-05:00

My sister Kay made this cute little gloves and gave them to me for Christmas. Aren't they just adorable?

One More Christmas

2011-01-14T08:29:00.000-05:00

Ed, Leah and the boys came back to Fort Wayne with us and we had another Christmas on Monday morning.

Christmas with Family

2011-01-14T08:24:00.000-05:00

Christmas Day was a very low-key day for just Gary, Kevin and me. We slept in, went to a movie, and had steaks for dinner. But Sunday was anything but low-key. We celebrated with my family at my sister Peggy's house. We're getting to be a rather large group and it's really fun to get everyone together.

Mom & Dad

Gary, Carol & Kevin

Ed, Leah, Samuel & Joel

Daryl & Peggy

Steve & Kay

Mike & Brandi

Angie & Kaylee

Roger & Karen

Brad, Kari, & Allison

This Christmas was all about the kids!

But the adults weren't forgotten. Everyone got one of these cute little Coca-Cola ornaments. Like the bow?

I'm hoping to have a few more of these big family get-togethers while we're in Indiana this winter. Love you guys!!

Our last few days in The Villages

2011-01-14T08:12:00.000-05:00

Just before we came back to Indiana my mom and dad visited us in Florida. While they were there some friends were visiting The Villages on the lifestyle tour. We all had a lot of fun getting together and hanging out. One night we went to the comedy club at Katie Belle's. This is the second time we've been there for this and it is a really fun night.

Merry Christmas to All

2010-12-25T05:33:00.000-05:00

For today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger. Luke 2:11,12

A Little Disco for Your Holiday Pleasure!

2010-12-15T08:24:00.000-05:00

Who would have thought?

2010-12-15T07:00:00.012-05:00

I've been busy clearing out closets and packing so Gary took on some of the cooking duties. We decided we were hungry for lasagna. Leah makes the best lasagna from the recipe on the back of the Barilla lasagna noodle box. These are the no pre-cook noodles. So I sent Gary to the store with the notation "Barilla lasagne noodles" and told him to just get the ingredients from the recipe on the back of the box. Notice that I specifically told him Barilla noodles. So he comes home with Ronzoni noodles and a completely different recipe on the box. Now the Barilla recipe calls for two whole jars of pasta sauce and the Ronzoni recipe only called for 26 oz. So this lasagna looked really dry before going into the oven.

I figured this would never bake into anything that we could eat but I just humored him and told him to go ahead and put it in the oven. Who would have thought it would turn out this fabulous? Not me! I was very surprised to see this appear an hour later.

My apologies, Gary. Great job! Since he is chief cook all winter I'm happy to see another successful recipe added to his collection.

Saying Good-bye to Disney World

2010-12-14T06:16:00.000-05:00

Our annual passes expire on December 20. We need to start packing to return to Fort Wayne so we spent the weekend getting in our last couple of days. We ended up visiting the parks on 34 days in the 15 months that we had the passes (Disney was offering 3 free months on the annual pass when we bought them in September 2009).

We spent time doing some of our favorite things. First we hung out at The Boardwalk. This is becoming one of our favorite spots.

We shared a little coffee, soda, and homemade pumpkin bread we had brought from home. Leah will appreciate and understand the picture below (nothing better than a free snack at WDW).

Then we walked to EPCOT to the International Gateway in Future World. We ate at our favorite place there, Tangierine Cafe in Morocco. This food is YUMMY!

So we don't just eat at Disney World (seems like it though, doesn't it?) We also went to Hollywood Studios for a couple of our favorite things.

First was American Idol Experience. We don't watch Idol on TV at home but we really enjoy going to this at WDW.

And our favorite thing at Studios at Christmas time is the Osborne Lights.

Then we walked back to The Boardwalk to our car to go home. I love being able to walk between EPCOT and Hollywood Studios with The Boardwalk in between.

We went back to the parks on Saturday. We hung out at the Contemporary Resort for awhile and then walked to the Magic Kingdom. We spent the entire time there. It was a really nice day so it was very crowded in the park. We didn't wait in line for any rides, just enjoyed a lot of the entertainment. We got there in time for the parade so we got to see it for one last time.

Of course by then it was time for an afternoon treat so we stopped for a Dole Whip and Pineapple Float.

By this time the park was extremely crowded. We walked over to the castle and caught the Dream Along with Mickey show.

We then did a little shopping at the Emporium and when we came out the Dapper Dan's were performing.

Farther down Main Street we watched the Flag Retreat.

Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think that I would have an annual pass to Disney World. It has been so much fun. However, we didn't renew the passes for another year. They were a bit of a splurge and we want to do some other things in the area next year. But I'm so glad we did this. We still have some daily passes so I'm sure we'll be back again.

See ya' real soon, Mickey!

A Special Time with a Special Sister

2010-12-13T07:00:00.001-05:00

While Kay was vacationing at Disney World we snuck away one afternoon to have tea at the Garden View Tea Room at the Grand Floridian resort.

I love this place. It was so much fun to share it with someone I love.

More Disney Fun

2010-12-12T08:04:00.000-05:00

It's so great having the Disney Annual Passes. My sister Kay along with my niece Angie and her family vacationed at Disney World the last week of October. I actually went to the parks three of the days that they were there.

What fun to see Disney through the eyes of another child. Angie's daughter Kaylee was so excited about her visit.

We attended a wedding at Disney World yesterday

2010-12-11T06:09:00.000-05:00

Now we don't actually know these people...we just happened to be on The Boardwalk when they got married. We were sitting in front of the bakery enjoying some coffee and pumpkin bread (and sunshine) when we noticed several groups of people walking by all dressed up. Since most women had on heels we were pretty sure they weren't headed to EPCOT. Finally it dawned on me that they were going to a wedding in the gazebo overlooking the lake. So we hung around watching for the bride to arrive. We walked by the gazebo on our way to EPCOT while they were taking pictures so I snapped one too.

Now if we just could have found the reception later....

A Boy and His Papa

2010-12-10T05:28:00.001-05:00

Finishing Disney & Off to The Villages

2010-12-09T05:22:00.000-05:00

Riding the monorail on our last morning.

Even Bear got to check out the view.

We said goodbye to Disney World on Saturday morning. Gary and Joel came back to pick us up and take us to The Villages. More fun to come.

Crazy Grammy decided to take the boys to McDonald's for lunch one day. Silly boys!!! And what a fun time.

We took the Payne's to our favorite restaurant...Fruitland Park Cafe. If you haven't been here with us you need to come for a visit and request this place. It's fabulous.

And of course we spent lots of time at the pool.

What a great time we had. Can't wait for next year's visit.

More of Disney World with Sam

2010-12-08T18:19:00.000-05:00

Our second day in the parks was much more enjoyable since Joel decided to spend more time with his Papa. Samuel even mentioned on the way to the bus that he liked it better without Joel. Could that be because he was the complete center of attention now?

We started the second day in Disney's Hollywood Studios. Everyone always thinks that the Magic Kingdom is the best park for little kids but I was amazed at how many things we did at DHS that Samuel really enjoyed.

Gary and I had checked out Playhouse Disney a few months earlier and knew that Samuel would really enjoy it.

Waiting in line for Playhouse Disney.

Planning for Minnie's surprise birthday party.

Handy Manny

Sammy and Grammy both loved it.

See Samuel surprise Minnie!

Going to see Lightning McQueen.

GI Joe at the parade.

Enjoying a treat while watching the parade.

Even though we had been to Animal Kingdom the day before Samuel wanted to go back because he had missed a ride he wanted to go on and he still wanted to play in the Boneyard (we got there too late the day before and it had already closed). So since this trip really was all about Samuel, we headed off to Animal Kingdom! He got to ride Triceratops and play in the Boneyard.

What a great day!

Sacked out in the hotel elevator!

Finishing the First Day at Disney World

2010-11-23T08:46:00.000-05:00

Okay, I'm back to blogging about Leah's visit with us. I still have more Disney World pics to share. Later in the afternoon we headed out to Animal Kingdom.

Watching the afternoon parade.

Riding the safari. Maybe Sam and I should have taken a nap with Joel earlier!

Joel hanging out of the Jeep on the safari.

Meeting Winnie the Pooh.

At this point we decided that Walt Disney World really wasn't the most magical place on earth for Joel. So we called Gary and had him meet us in the parking lot to take Joel back to The Villages for the remainder of our stay at Disney World.

Then Leah, Samuel and I went to Epcot for the evening. While walking around World Showcase for the Food & Wine Festival we kept our eyes out for the cart selling light up toys. We let Samuel check out every toy available. Several cast members were showing him all the cool ones and trying to help him decide.

Sam picked the Lightning McQueen car.

Cool lights spinning in the dark.

Playing the drums in the Outpost.

Sneaking a drink from the cup holder.

Heading out of the park around 10:00 pm, still going strong!

What a fun day for Grammy & Sammy!

Off to the parks--Magic Kingdom

2010-11-13T11:02:00.000-05:00

Wow, I started this post right after we got back from Disney World and never took time to finish it. I'm spending a lazy morning at Kevin's and decided to try to get a little more current with my blogging.

On to our adventures at Disney World.

We started out early on Thursday morning for our first day in the parks. We rode the bus to the Magic Kingdom and went straight for Dumbo.

Riding the bus to Magic Kingdom

Waiting in line to ride Dumbo

Dumbo--our first ride of the day

This pretty much sums up Joel's take on Disney World!

Samuel loves the carousel.

And Joel seemed to like this too.

Even Leah is a kid here!

How sweet.

Samuel really wanted to ride the race cars. We have avoided this until now. It is such a lame ride with ridiculously long lines. But little kids absolutely LOVE it and Samuel was no exception.

One of our favorite places at the Magic Kingdom is Tom Sawyer Island. It's so much cooler and peaceful over there.

Enjoying a popcorn snack.

Playing in the fort.

Checkers, anyone?

After Tom Sawyer Island Leah decided that Joel was ready for a nap. So the two of them went back to the hotel and Samuel and I kept going.

Riding Magic Carpets of Aladdin

Walking through the Swiss Family Robinson treehouse.

Riding the bus back to the hotel.

What a fun day at the Magic Kingdom (at least for me and Samuel). I'll post later about the rest of our trip.

Fun at the hotel

2010-10-23T09:08:00.000-04:00

When we were at Disney World we stayed at the All-Star Sports hotel. That was a really fun place for the boys. Papa Gary had bought lighted swords at Dollar Tree before the trip. What fun they were! And of course Samuel's favorite activity was swimming in the pool.

He finally met his Princess

2010-10-23T09:00:00.000-04:00

I posted back in September that Samuel wanted to meet Princess Aurora and that I had talked with her and told her he was coming. So our first day at Disney World we took the boat from Hollywood Studios to Epcot and entered at the International Gateway. Just as you cross the bridge you enter France...and there she was. It was a very short line (don't you love those at WDW?) so we walked up to meet her. So sweet!

My Disney Boy!

2010-10-23T08:46:00.000-04:00

I think Samuel loves Disney World as much as his mom and I do. We started off Leah's visit with three nights at Walt Disney World before heading over to The Villages. Samuel went non-stop for all three days. I have lots of pictures to share...check back later.

Six Pints of Heaven

2010-10-05T13:30:00.000-04:00

Look what UPS delivered to my house this morning.

Six pints of Graeter's ice cream! I love this stuff. I posted about this fabulous taste treat back in July 2009 in this POST. I've already had some for an early lunch. And I'm sure I'll need more for an afternoon snack.

Lois sent this package as a thank you for her visit and a birthday and anniversary present for me. I'll get to share it with Leah and the boys later this week. Yum! Yum! Thank you, Lois.

Epcot Food & Wine Festival Has Begun

2010-10-04T14:05:00.000-04:00

After Gary and I dropped Lois off at the airport on Saturday afternoon we headed over to Epcot for our first trip to the Food & Wine Festival this year. It was still pretty warm with all the concrete to walk on and the crowds grew steadily heavier the later it got.

But we still managed to sample some great food.

Greek Salad with Pita Bread

Escargots Persillade en Brioche

Seared Barramundi with Blistered Cherry Tomatoes Arugula, and Lemon Oil

◦Strawberry Angel Verrine

◦Pear Streusel Pudding Cake

We are planning many more visits before the Festival ends mid-November. Our goal is to try all the samples at least once. Yummy!!

Always a Great Visit

2010-10-03T16:31:00.000-04:00

My friend Lois, from New York, was here for her third visit in The Villages. As always, we had a great time of talking, laughing, eating, and stamping. She brought the shuttle up from Orlando on Wednesday evening. We had dinner at Lighthouse Point overlooking the water. Then on Thursday she and I both worked from home. Thursday evening was dinner on the square at Red Sauce. I love this place. The food was great and we ate on the patio listening to the music on the square.

Then Friday morning we took her to Fruitland Park Cafe for breakfast. This is our favorite little place that should be featured on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives (it qualifies as a dive!) Later that morning she and I took the golf cart out to deliver Stampin' Up! orders. Then we just hung out at home the rest of the day stamping and eating leftovers. Lois helped me design cards for my next stamping class. What a fun time we had. Luckily her job brings her to Orlando occasionally so I'm already looking forward to another visit.

It looks like HGTV is at our house

2010-09-25T16:33:00.000-04:00

Contractors with power tools in the driveway! I love it. Today was my favorite home improvement yet. We had crown molding installed in the whole house. Everywhere but the closets - even the bathrooms. What a great crew. They got here at 8:30 this morning and were completely finished and driving off at 11:30. Absolutely amazing. I think the first piece of molding was nailed up within ten minutes of their arrival. There were three men sawing and hanging and another three men caulking and painting. These guys have definitely got their system down pat. A really nice bunch of guys and they did a fabulous job. If you're in The Villages and want crown molding I can highly recommend them. Creative Finish Carpentry of Florida.

37 Years!

2010-09-22T05:00:00.001-04:00

Fall...or not?

2010-09-20T19:14:00.000-04:00

My calendar says that it is September. But the thermometer still reads over 90 every day. So even though it doesn't feel like fall I did put up some fall decorations on the front door, lanai, dining room table and living room.

I was telling my friend Eileen that I had bought new fabric to make new "fall" covers for the pillows on my lanai. Her husband looked at me and said, "You mean we have to change the pillows on our lanai?" The look on this face was priceless.

Yep, Joe, we have to change out the pillows! Guys just don't understand, do they?

For Samuel

2010-09-03T10:38:00.000-04:00

When we were at Epcot yesterday we saw Princess Aurora. Gary shouted over to her "You're Samuel's favorite!" She seemed pleased.

Since the line was non-existent I decided to go and talk to her. I told her that she was Samuel's favorite and that he would be visiting next month.

We posed for a picture and she said to tell Samuel that she would be looking for him and wanted him to come and give her a kiss.

Samuel, I think you have a girlfriend!

Picking Paint Colors...Ugh!!

2010-08-30T11:12:00.000-04:00

I've decided to finally finish painting the remaining rooms. All that is left is the guest room and guest bath. I started out thinking that I would pick up the rose pink color in the valance fabric for the walls. So off to Home Depot. I'm so glad they have the little samples that you can buy now. I put it on a couple of places on the wall. Oooooh! It was UGLY!!! So back to Home Depot. I got two different green colors from the same swatch as my living room wall. Those samples went on the walls yesterday. I think one looks too light and the other might be too dark. So, of course, Gary thought I should just mix the two together. Does that make sense or not? I'm probably going back to Home Depot this afternoon for yet another round of samples. So for now my room just looks ridiculous!

We Voted Today

2010-08-24T18:09:00.000-04:00

We voted today in the Florida primary. Our first time to vote in Florida. Seems weird to vote in August instead of May!

Happy Birthday Sammy!!

2010-08-22T08:25:00.008-04:00

Wow! Our little Sammy (or SammE as he spells it) turns FOUR today! We've already celebrated with him in Chicago (new bike) and at the lake (birthday cake) but I wanted to wish my special little guy a really special day!

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

WE LOVE YOU SAM!!!!

Help Me Find Something

2010-08-20T18:31:00.002-04:00

I just posted on my stamping blog a picture of the new desk that I bought for my guest room. However, I need a chair and I'm looking for a cheaper solution than the $399 one that I want from Pottery Barn.

Check out THIS POST for the pictures. PLEASE help me find something!!

Sam's New Bike

2010-08-17T04:00:00.003-04:00

While I was in Chicago we went shopping for a new bicycle for Samuel's birthday. When we got to the sporting goods department at Wal-Mart he spied this bike. He went straight to it, got on, and proceeded to ride it around all the aisles. We knew we had found the perfect bike for him. I let him ride it through the store to the check out lanes in the garden department. He stayed on while the clerk scanned the price tag and then he rode the bike to the parking lot.

Joel was happy too because this meant that he can now claim the Diego bike as his own.

So, Happy Birthday, Samuel. Enjoy your early birthday present from Grammy and Papa.

At The Farm

2010-08-16T04:00:00.001-04:00

No trip to Indiana would be complete for Samuel and Joel if they didn't visit the farm. Gary and I took the boys over to my mom & dad's farm one morning while we were at the lake. Uncle Mike gave Samuel a ride on the tractor while he was mowing hay. The boys also wanted to wear "Grandpa Lewie" hats. Joel isn't quite ready for a real tractor ride but he enjoyed sitting on the one that Grandpa brought home at lunchtime.

Onion Days

2010-08-15T04:00:00.000-04:00

One of the reasons that we chose the weeks we did for vacation was so that we could attend Onion Days in Wolf Lake. This is a four day festival that is lots of fun if you're from the area and want to catch up with old friends. If you're not from this neck of the woods you would probably think it was pretty hokey. But we love sitting on Jack and Mary's porch and visiting with friends we've known for ages. Even though it's not home it feels like it.

We Love the Lake

2010-08-14T04:00:00.002-04:00

We spent most of our vacation at Lake Wawasee courtesy of my sister Peggy and her husband Daryl. We stayed in their condo that overlooked Johnson Bay. I sat every morning looking out over the channel to the lake while drinking my coffee. What a beautiful and relaxing way to start each day. Leah and the boys were here for the first week. We fished, boated, swam, snuggled, played and ate. What a great summer vacation!!!

THANKS DARYL AND PEGGY FOR A GREAT TIME!!!!!

Allison's Scrapbook

2010-08-13T04:00:00.000-04:00

One of the fun projects that I helped work on during my vacation was a 1st Year Scrapbook for my new grandniece Allison. Several women and girls all got together to make up pages for an entire year of scrapbooking. Now all Kari needs to do is take some cute pictures (which won't be a problem with cute little Allie!) and place them in the scrapbook.

Thanks to everyone who helped with this project. What fun!!

Getting There is Half the Fun

2010-08-12T04:00:00.005-04:00

Our time at Navy Pier was only half the fun of the day. Getting there and back was just as much fun. We took the train to Union Station, then a bus to Navy Pier. The return trip was the water taxi from Navy Pier and then the train back home. I don't know who had more fun with public transportation--me or the boys!

More Fun at Navy Pier

2010-08-11T04:00:00.003-04:00

After riding the Tall Ship Windy we took in some more activities at Navy Pier. We bought tickets and rode the carousel ($20 for four - so not worth it). After lunch we got ice cream and watched the free show in the Family Pavilion. Great show featuring two jugglers and the best part was that it was free!

The Tall Ship Windy

2010-08-10T18:00:00.005-04:00

So what did you do on your summer vacation? I started mine by flying to Chicago to see Leah and her family. She had a really fun day planned for me. We took the train to the city and rode the Tall Ship Windy from Navy Pier.

They told all about the life of a sailor on the Great Lakes years ago. Samuel got to ring the bell and Samuel and Joel both got to handle some artifacts that were passed around. It was a beautiful day to be on the lake and a really fun way to get there.

Thanks, Leah, for a fun way to start my vacation.

Have Golf Carts Will Travel

2010-06-30T07:41:00.002-04:00

My mom has vacationed in Florida with a group of girlfriends every June for years. Last year I went to Ormand Beach to visit them for a couple of days. This year they came to The Villages to visit me. (Really I think they just wanted to check out this crazy place where I live.)

I really wanted them to experience The Villages for what it is--a golf cart community. So we borrowed a cart and rented another one to accompany our own golf cart. After they arrived and got the quick tour of our villa we loaded into the golf carts and drove to the town square for lunch.

Here we are heading out:

What fun! We had lunch outside and then took the trolley tour. Of course, we ended the afternoon with a visit to Ambrosia for ice cream.

Thanks for a fun day, ladies. I hope you enjoyed your visit to The Villages.

Happy Birthday Leah

2010-06-10T17:08:00.002-04:00

Today is Leah's birthday. We spent the afternoon together in Disney World last year for her birthday. But this year I only got to talk to her on the phone. Ed's mom and brother are visiting them so she is celebrating Chicago style.

Check out the post on my stamping blog HERE to see the birthday card I made for her. I'm also sending Ed a check to cover the cost of a new patio umbrella as her gift.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LEAH!! We love you and miss you.

Better Than 31 Cent Scoops?

2010-05-19T07:52:00.002-04:00

Yes! FREE ice cream is even better than 31-cent ice cream.

Our friend Preston (who enjoyed the 31-cent Baskin-Robbins ice cream with us) sent us an email about Haagen-Dazs free ice cream yesterday to celebrate their 50th birthday. So of course we had to help them celebrate. You could only get their original flavors of chocolate, vanilla, or coffee. But since coffee is my favorite Haagen Dazs flavor that was just fine with me.

The special was only from 4:00 to 8:00 yesterday. We got there around 7:45 and stood in line. When we finally got to the front of the line they said "no more free ice cream, it's 8:00." Our response: I don't think so!! As you can see in the photo above we did get our free scoop.

Just wondering where and when we'll find another ice cream special.

Thank You, Susie & Mike

2010-05-13T07:20:00.003-04:00

When my friend Susie visited The Villages this winter she brought me back this adorable little pillow. It's now sitting on the rocking chair on our lanai by the front door.

I guess that's an open invitation to everyone to come visit. See you soon!

Another great breakfast place

2010-05-12T04:00:00.001-04:00

While we were at St. Pete Beach we went to Village Inn for breakfast one morning. Yummy food.

Check out the GIANT breakfast burrito that Keith ordered.

St. Pete Beach

2010-05-11T04:00:00.000-04:00

The last two days of Keith & Elaine's visit we spent at St. Pete Beach. We stayed at a resort that had suites overlooking the gulf. What a great place.

(Note: This is the same resort that Gary & I stayed at back in November 2003. We went for a little R&R just before Leah's wedding.)

A Good, No...Great Day Golfing!

2010-05-10T20:07:00.003-04:00

We played the Truman golf course for the third straight day today. My goal was to improve my score each day. However, Sunday's score was higher than Saturday's. But today was different. I broke 40 for the first time ever! Notice 2 pars and 4 bogeys. YAY!!!

(Also notice that I beat Gary and Jim. They both had off days today, especially Gary. That will probably never happen again so I'm celebrating!)

A "Sweet" Detour

2010-05-06T07:58:00.007-04:00

On our way to the beach yesterday Gary made a detour for me.

We see this place when we come down I-75 but we've never taken the time to stop. Since we had plenty of time until we could check in to our room at the beach we decided to check this place out. It is a distribution center with an outlet store attached.

It was much bigger than I expected. Not everything was a bargain but if you went for outdated holidays it was a good deal. I snatched up some caramel Santas!

Elaine and I spent almost half an hour in this place and finally made it out with our purchases.

The hubbies were waiting in the car for us. At least one of them wasn't upset with the wait.

The $3 Breakfast

2010-05-04T04:00:00.000-04:00

Gary's brother Keith and his wife Elaine are visiting us this week. Of course we had to take them to one of our trendy dining spots.

This little diner is the Fruitland Park Cafe. It's just a few miles from our house. We discovered this hole-in-the-wall place last summer. There are only five tables and a counter inside. You get your own coffee (only 50 cents) when you walk in and then find yourself a table.

The sign outside advertises a $3 breakfast. How you get breakfast for $3 is to choose three items. Everything is a dollar. Eggs - $1, Bacon - $1, Toast - $1, Grits - $1, etc.

We're still looking for more dining establishments like this. Come and visit and you never know where we'll take you!

Gary & Carol or Ricky & Lucy?

2010-05-03T04:00:00.000-04:00

We've been rearranging furniture lately to make more room for me to stamp in the guest room. So we switched beds. The queen bed is now in the guest room and the twin beds are in the master bedroom. I feel like a 50's sitcom.

It's actually working very well in the guest room so I think we will work on this arrangement. We've ordered a king size bed and a mattress doubler. You move the two twin beds together and the kit includes a strap to keep them from separating along with a pad that goes where they meet so there isn't a gap. Then you put a king size mattress pad and sheet over everything. The bed won't be delivered for a couple of weeks so we're waiting to see if this will work.

One problem with moving the queen bed to the guest room is that because it is four inches longer there is not room for the dresser in that room. So we have both dressers in the master bedroom.

So....opinions please. Honest opinions. Does this look ridiculous? It's great having all this storage and I'm sure I'll get next to nothing out of this extra dresser if I sell it. I'd really like to keep them both but I'm just not sure if it looks okay or not. Please leave a comment and let me know what you think.

My New License Plate

2010-05-02T04:00:00.000-04:00

I've been looking for a new license plate for the front of the Fit. Gary suggested a Disney plate. I thought it sounded like something I would like so Gary started looking for one on ebay. He found this one and asked me what I was willing to pay. I told him no more than $10 total (the bid + shipping). Well, it seems he got into some kind of bidding war with someone else. He won't tell me what he really paid but he's just so proud that he won!! Luckily I'm pleased with the plate.

Samuel's Visit

2010-05-01T04:00:00.000-04:00

What fun to have Samuel visit all by himself. We kept very busy.

Having ice cream with Kevin and Tricia.

Eating lunch at the food court at the mall.

Taking a ride with Bob the Builder.

Running around the fountain at Jefferson Pointe.

"Flying" at Cold Stone Creamery.

Monkey See...Monkey Do

2010-04-30T04:00:00.000-04:00

More Fine Dining

2010-04-29T04:00:00.000-04:00

Our friends, Gordon and Linda, stopped to visit us on their way back north a couple of weekends ago. We had a big lunch at the town square so they just wanted a light snack for dinner. We took them to a dining establishment that they had never been to before.....Sam's Club! This is one of our favorite places to eat. A HUGE slice of pizza and a big drink for $2.48. How can you beat this? (Well, actually Gary knows of some better deals--for instance, the Oldies 101.7 Weenie Wagon for free). Linda actually splurged and got a ham & cheese sandwich. So, come on down and we'll show you how to really live!!

9 Scoops...$2.99

2010-04-28T18:22:00.006-04:00

That's right. Nine scoops of Baskin-Robbins ice cream for a total of $2.99. It's a special just for tonight.

We found out about it online about 4:00 right after I had put dinner in the oven. The special is from 5:00 to 10:00 only. Our friend, Preston, is visiting us from Fort Wayne. So of course we decided to be there right at 5:00 so we didn't miss it.

The chicken in the oven is pretty dried out by now. But nobody really cares because nobody is hungry. You see after the original three scoops each we each had seconds. Another three scoops each for Preston and Gary and two more for me!

(On a side note...Gary and I had a free lunch today at The Waterfront Inn for listening to a financial seminar. Gary thinks this was a very successful day!)

It's About Time!

2010-04-26T07:43:00.005-04:00

I've been back in Florida now for two weeks. So that should be enough time for me to get my life together and start posting on this blog again, right? Evidently not, because I still don't feel very organized.

But I have so many cute pictures of my grandsons that I really need to get back to blogging!

At the end of March Leah and the boys came to Fort Wayne for a visit. They came to my office to pick me up. They thought it seemed like a pretty fun place to play.

We then went to the library to get some books. While there we took time to play since they'd been stuck riding in the car for so long.

On Saturday we went to Science Central. I've never been there before. It's really pretty cool. The boys had a blast.

Later on Saturday we went to the Menard's playground. Yes, a playground inside Menard's garden center. It's actually the display of all their playground equipment but they don't care if you come and play on everything. It was still a little chilly there but much better than a playground at a park on a cold day.

When Leah went home on Sunday afternoon she left Joel with us. Then on Wednesday Gary met her half way and they switched boys. We had Samuel until Saturday when we went to Chicago. I'll post more pictures later in the week.

Does it FIT?

2010-04-09T19:44:00.004-04:00

Two weeks ago we bought a new car. A Honda Fit. We have a really small garage at our house in Florida and thought this little car would "Fit" in the garage better than our Camry.

While I think this will be a fun little car for getting around in The Villages it wasn't such a great idea for transporting all our stuff back to Florida. But Gary, the master packer, managed to pack it all in.

There was very little room left for me so I bought a ticket to fly down on Monday afternoon. Gary left this morning.

I'm a little jealous that he will be in Florida before me but I'm relieved I don't have to squeeze myself in and ride for all those hours.

Gary has some serious competition

2010-03-25T08:47:00.005-04:00

While I was at work on Monday my cell phone rang. It was my friend Lynn. I thought she was calling to make plans for lunch later in the week. But instead she just asked me what size shorts I wore. When I told her she just said "Thanks" and hung up! I had no idea what she was up to but she's a bargain hunter so I figured she was at a thrift store and found a deal. We got together for dinner last night and she handed me a bag.

Here's what she bought me--these cute golf skorts.

She made sure that I saw the tags on them. Notice the $70 and $95 original prices?

So what did she actually pay? Check out the receipt:

That's right. $1 per item! She was in Palm Springs for a long weekend and found this outlet store going out of business. Everything in the store was $1. Wow, wouldn't that have been fun? So now Gary has a challenge for the best deals. Thank you, Lynn.

7 Wonders of the World

2010-03-17T07:11:00.002-04:00

My friend Penny linked this video on facebook last night and I wanted to share with everyone in case you're not her friend on facebook. (You should be, she's a gem!)

Fresh from the Farm

2010-03-14T09:28:00.002-04:00

One of the men that Gary does bible study with on Wednesday mornings has a small hobby farm. One of the things they raise is some exotic chickens. He's been telling Gary about how much better his fresh eggs are than what you can buy in the store. So this Wednesday he brought Gary a dozen of these exotic eggs. Look at all the pretty colors.

So how fresh are they? Check out the feather still attached to one!

Thanks Bill and Mary. They were delicious.

Meet Violet

2010-03-12T12:50:00.003-05:00

Isn't she pretty? She's my new Blackberry. Evidently I don't check my work emails often enough when I'm in Florida so it was suggested that I get myself a smartphone. I looked at both the Droid and the Blackberry but decided on the Blackberry Curve II because it connects with the intranet at work much easier. Lots of other people in the office have a Blackberry but I'm the only one with this lovely lavendar color. Now I just need some lessons on how to get the most out of this little baby. I saw a couple of books at Barnes & Noble that I just may have to purchase.

Tax update - I still have three corporate returns and nine individual returns to finish. The last of the returns due 3/15 went in the mail today. Oh, and I also need to do our own taxes! We leave for Florida five weeks from today. I better get busy!

Where did you have lunch?

2010-02-20T17:16:00.002-05:00

Gary took me out for lunch today to one of our favorite places.

The Oldies 101.7 Weinie Wagon!

Yep, that's right! Free hot dogs. They bring this food cart around to different car lots as a promotion. The funny thing is that the salespeople at the car lots just don't get it. You would think that they would talk to you and show you cars while you're there. But they never even approach you. One time the salespeople were all out there getting their free hot dogs and not one of them asked us if we were interested in a car. It's been a long time since we've seen them around. Gary heard on the radio yesterday that they were going to be at the Acura dealer. So we planned lunch and then some shopping at Jefferson Pointe. Kind of a nice afternoon.

Plating

2010-02-20T08:33:00.002-05:00

Gary really does think he's on Food Network now. Last night while he was making dinner he yelled, "Get the camera. I'm plating!" What? Check it out.

Notice the little spots of sauce? This just cracked me up! Actually it was very good. It's Zesty Crab Cakes with Creamy Pepper Sauce. All I can say is keep it coming.

On a side note, did you see the Monopoly game under the plate? Another bargain at a thrift store. The Deluxe version for $1. Now the question is will anyone actually play this game?

The deals are still coming!

2010-02-18T07:13:00.002-05:00

The deals that Gary finds at thrift shops never cease to amaze me. Of course, he has bought some totally useless things in the past (hence the appliance museum in my former basement store room). But yesterday he scored big time for me. The only golf shirts I have in Florida are sleeveless. Which on most golf days is exactly what I need. But last November and December I would have liked to have had some shirts with sleeves. I kept telling Gary that I needed to shop for golf shirts but I just never did. Well he took care of me yesterday.

Remember the Mickey Mouse tee-shirt for 40 cents? This is the same deal. Five shirts for $2.00. I think they're pretty cute too. And in just 58 more days I can be wearing one on the golf course!

He's Still Cooking

2010-02-15T19:15:00.003-05:00

Gary had me pick out more recipes from the South Beach Diet cookbook. Tonight's dinner was Caribbean Baked Chicken with Mango.

The tag line reads "All the traditional spices of Jamaican Jerk-style cookery are used in this recipe". Wow, this was spicy. Jalapenos, onions, garlic, fresh ginger, jerk seasoning, allspice, and cilantro. But it's cooled by the fresh mango on top. Another success from this cookbook.

There was more...

2010-02-14T19:40:00.004-05:00

Mr. "I Don't Celebrate Holidays" came up with more gifts this morning for Valentine's Day.

Of course there is a story behind these. You don't think he went to Vera Bradley and The Disney Store do you? The purse was brand new (with tags) but he found it at Goodwill. And bought it on half-price day. The Mickey shirt (also brand new with tags) was from Salvation Army and cost a whopping 40 cents! Isn't he great? He's my bargain hunter and I love him!

Oh My Gosh!! It's a Hallmark Holiday!

2010-02-12T14:38:00.003-05:00

Gary hates "Hallmark Holidays". You know...Birthdays, Anniversaries, Mother's Day, Valentine's Day, etc. (Any day that a wife would EXPECT a gift.) So over the years he has called them Hallmark Holidays and boycotted them as gift-giving days. So imagine my surprise this morning when this box showed up at my office:

Well, I guess since Valentine's Day is still two days away he can still claim he boycotted the actual day. But the flowers are beautiful and I love them. And I love him!

The Countdown is On!

2010-02-05T08:14:00.001-05:00

So what's the deal with the sticky note on my computer screen? It's my countdown. 71 days until we are back in Florida and 48 days more to work. That's important to me today because the forecast is calling for snow. Yuck! I need sunshine.

The Next Iron Chef?

2010-02-04T19:39:00.003-05:00

Move over Bobby Flay, Mario Batali, and Michael Symon. There's a new chef in town.

Gary bought a new cookbook. Where else? From a thrift store!

He made this great chicken recipe from the book for dinner on Monday night. It was fabulous. So he asked me to pick out four more recipes for the remainder of the week. Tuesday night was Mexican Lasagna. It was also very good. Last night we went out to eat with some friends so he wasn't able to cook the dish he had planned. When I got up this morning this is what I found in the kitchen.

He had everything all out ready to cook dinner. Everything is chopped and measured.

Dinner tonight was Shrimp Creole over brown rice. It was very spicy and yummy!

Thanks Gary! I'm loving the new meals.

Sofa Bowling?

2010-02-04T19:31:00.003-05:00

I think he missed the point of using the Wii to get some exercise!!

Kaylee's New Backpack

2010-02-04T19:23:00.002-05:00

Last Saturday night we went to my sister Karen's for dinner. Since I had missed Christmas I gave Kaylee some Christmas/Birthday gifts. One of the items was something that I had brought from Florida (from Disney World, actually). It is a Minnie Mouse backpack. Kaylee loved it!

I also bought her some clothes. She is quite a fashionista. Check out this post on her own blog. Growing Up with Kaylee

Yes it is cold!!

2010-01-30T07:21:00.001-05:00

I just added this little widget to my blog. Look in the lower right corner. It shows the current temp. This morning as I'm adding this it is 10 degrees!

So what's Gary been up to?

2010-01-29T20:23:00.004-05:00

As you all know, I'm busy now working on tax returns every day. But you've probably wondered what Gary is doing while I'm at work. He has a new hobby--buying cars! In the last month he has helped his brother and both of our kids find new cars and negotiated the deal for them. (My dad has also been helping him scout out the good deals.)

First he found a van for Leah. She finally decided she needed more room than her Honda so Gary found her this 2004 Toyota Sienna van. Just perfect for toting those kids around Chicago.

Next he found this 2008 Toyota Avalon for his brother. I was a little jealous when he told me about it because it sounded like something I would like. But once I saw the dark charcoal leather seats I knew it would never work for Florida. It's a great car for Keith.

Finally, Kevin decided that it was time to get rid of the Honda he's driven since high school. Gary found him a 2003 Nissan Altima. This thing has every button you could ever imagine. It also has remote start which is great for someone that lives in an apartment with no garage.

Need a different car? Give Gary a call. I still have 52 left to work and he needs something to do. He loves wheeling and dealing and spending other people's money!