We're baaaaack!

I've been remiss...we got home from Florida on the 20th of February with snow and sleet in the forecast...luckily it missed us! Since we've been home, we've worked in the yard continuously and visited friends. My rose garden has been so neglected since we were gone all last summer! We lack mulching and then we wait for warmer weather to plant flowers! We are going to put in a pool since we're staying home for a while. That's my 60th birthday present from Woody! I'm thankful to have lived this long...every day is a blessing! We'll still travel, but short trips to places I want to see around Tennessee and Kentucky and NC. For those of you who know me well, I'm a Jack Daniels girl and have never been to Lynchburg, TN where it's made! That's on my agenda for the first sunny and warm day now that the yard is "laid by" as we say in the south. We're also planning a week or two or more in NC at Chris and Jennifer's beach house! Yeah! A free place to stay on the beach!!



I'm also going to work a bit more for The Oncology Group, a consulting group that specializes in oncology. While we're doing well now, if the market doesn't come back in the next 5-10 years, I may have to go back to my original plan for retirement...greeter at WalMart! Hopefully President Obama will get things heading in the right direction...if we can get everyone in Washington, DC to play nice with each other! I thought briefly, very briefly, about going to work for the government since healthcare reform is such a hot topic. It passed. Given that we pay almost $1500 a month for health insurance, I'm counting the days until November 17th when Woody turns 65 and is eligible for Medicare!!!



Since we're home, there is an open invitation to come visit! We have a fabulous guest suite...private bath, cable, pillowtop mattress...the whole 9 yards. So call, make a reservation and come on over to Hendersonville, TN! We'd love to see you!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Hope you've all had a wonderful Valentine's Day! This has been a quiet week...Woody had a bit of a virus and was in bed for a few days...so I shopped. Chicos was having a really good sale! There were tons of things I wanted, but not working means you don't need much! I really love the new shopping area in SanDestin. If you haven't been down here for a while, you won't believe all the new construction. HarborWalk is also a blast. Pat O'Brien's...yes, that one, and Commander's Palace have restaurants here in Destin now.

We aren't much into celebrating Valentine's, but we did book tickets for Bristol today! For those of you not in the know...that's a NASCAR race in March in Bristol, TN!! Let's see...Woody has me in a "trailer", living in a "trailer park" most of the time and, now, going to a NASCAR race!!! What is the world coming to? The interesting thing is that getting tickets to Bristol has been like getting tickets to see the Green Bay Packers play at home...apparently the economy is really hitting racing. The race is less than a month away and the tickets we got are really very good. We're going to stay in Rogersville which is where many of Woody's uncles live...so lunch with the uncles and racing. It should be a blast! I'm for Tony Stewart and Woody is for Dale, Jr.

We did manage to go out to dinner tonight, even though it was Valentine's Day...can you say, Taco Bell? seriously!! We just wanted a quick bite and no lines and no makeup. There was a Valentine's party tonight at the club house, but we just couldn't get moving to go. Besides...I don't think they would be playing our music if you get my drift! We're young for snow birds.

Only one more week and then home to Hendersonville...I'm ready to be home, but it better not be too cold! I can't wait to work in the yard. I've about convinced Woody that Canada this summer is not in our future. I just want to stay around home for a while...he's RV'd me out! I've been retired 27 months and have been away from home 20 months of that!! I want some short trips like to Lynchburg...I love Jack and I'm the only one in the world who hasn't been to Miss Mary BoBo's and the distillery. However, if it gets really hot, all bets are off. I do have two jobs pending...one in Alaska and one in Connecticut. We'll just have to see how the year goes.

See you soon!!

Seaside's Yard Sale

OK...Woody has not completely grown up! After wandering all over Destin looking, he finally got his 3D glasses and he and Harley watched Chuck in 3D and some of the commercials from the Superbowl.

The group pictures are our Mexican Train Dominos night after the Low Country Boil dinner in the "trailer park". We were out til midnite playing...now we're on the search for dominos with numbers rather than dots. It's a blast to play. These are all our good friends! We come every year and all of us have already made our reservations for next year. It's a great bunch.

We had a wonderful day today...Seaside was having their annual yard sale. On the way, we stopped at Lily Pad's in Grayton Beach which is one of our favorite shops. There are multiple booths with tons of good stuff! We had lunch at Great Southern Cafe in Seaside and had the best shrimp and grits I've ever eaten! I thought the ones in Ocean Isle, NC were good but these were better. We're getting close to H day...the day we leave for home. We are expecting that Estelle and David will be down in the next week or so. We're looking so forward to their visit. We're taking them to the Great Southern Cafe so we can all have shrimp and grits! I told you they were good.

We are still doing water aerobics three times a week and walking...still gaining weight! The food here is fabulous. We have eaten shrimp every way and last night at Dewey's I had ruby red's which are called "poor man's lobster". With drawn butter, I couldn't tell the difference...other than the fact that I got 1 lb for $15.95!! We still haven't been to Apalachicola for oysters, but are planning on Capt Anderson's next week in Panama City. I remember going there as a little girl with my parents and sisters. I can't believe that I've been coming down here over 50 years..supposedly my mother came down here when pregnant with me so that would be over 60 years! Yes, I'm sneaking up on my 60th birthday on March 6th! I certainly don't feel that old, and I'm not sure who that old woman in the mirror is!

We are so blessed to get to stay in Florida while TN is freezing cold! We've had a few days of cold weather, but for the most part, we have had jeans and sweatshirts and the top down. Life is good. It is a bit sad down here though...you can tell the recession is hitting. There are tons of houses and condos for sale and several of our friends that own shops are hurting. State Farm is completely pulling out of Florida so that just reinforced our decision not to buy a house here...it is impossible to get insurance. If you're down this way, be sure you go to Footprints on Hwy 98 (Emerald Coast Parkway) between the outlet mall and SanDestin on the left. Great stuff! We've also seen some of the high end restaurants close, but that hasn't hurt us too much! We love Dewey's and Buster's and Pompano Joe's. Great food at great prices. Frou Frou is not us since the market's down! Although I did just buy some more GE stock! It's a cinch that we're not getting any interest income so might as well day trade! See you all soon!