YO HO HO..OFF WE GO!!

Today we are at Buck Island, St Croix.. it's so gorgeous here. We are going on a charter cruise and doing some snorkeling. Sounds like fun. Clicking the link above you can go on the one minute tour and see some of the special scenery. 

I am not telling on any one of us..but ONE person in our group got a pretty bad sunburn yesterday. OUCH!! Hmmm don't think they will go swimming today so we might end up in the Sunny Isle Shopping center. We will stop and get some lunch 

I truly could sit here all day and enjoy the scenery but the CASINO awaits us!!

It is so regal looking..the front entrance looks fantastic. I hope we have luck inside and maybe we can manage to stay a few more days on the islands!

REST UP.... TOMORROW IS ANOTHER GREAT DAY 

ON THE ISLAND!!

GONE FISHING!!

Anchors away blog family.. today we are taking that fishing trip

I know I will get some help from you all if I hook one

and can’t reel that sucker in. What fun!!

When we get back Sue will be playing tennis at the courts at

the hotel and we will cheer her on. By dinnertime we all will

have one of those sunset beach side buffets. 

with all we can eat. We have private chefs that will

make it the way we want it!!!

Tomorrow we will sail to BUCK ISLANDon a charter trip

and explore the island ..it has a wonderful protected reef

that is just beautiful. 

I can’t wait!!   Whoever lost these sunglassessee

me because I am keeping them safe until you retrieve them. LOL

We sure had a nice get away from all the cold.. don't know about you but think I will be staying on my beach a little while longer.. Anyone got extra suntan lotion??
Who knows what we can get into tomorrow??

WHAT SNOW?? WE ARE HAVING FUN!!!

We ARE in the U.S. Virgin Islands.. there are many

islands that make up the whole.

What Fun!!

Today we are taking a horseback ride on one of the many

tours they have.  Joe has ridden ahead of us, I would

know that hat and shorts anywhere! 

Cindy, Beth, Carole and I made plans to shop in the duty free stores

 

and some

went to visit the sugar plantation on St Croix and have dinner

at a place called the Harbormaster Beach Club.

 There is a beach

barbeque floor show that can’t be beat!  Ohhh the beat of

that steel band was wonderful too.

Word comes from the cold cold country that snow is really

piling up. A smile comes to your face as you sit and watch

the sunset over the beach after a wonderful warm day.

Long day.... tomorrow I hear someone is impatient to

get on the boat and go fishing.. wonder who that could

be?? LOL

What a view.... that can’t be beat.. See you tomorrow....

WHERE THE HECK ARE WE???

We are in a great place, ready for new adventures.

We are definitely on an island.. just look at that
view Ahhhhhhhhh it looks great!! I almost
thought we wouldn’t make it because someone
left their ID and we had to go back for it. ( Not saying
who, but the mind has been elsewhere lately..)
Anyway.. boy that heat feels good!! We got a ton of beaches

and neat places to eat and explore. Not a lot of tourists

to deal with so we can have the place to ourselves.

 

I rename this place BLOGGERS  BEACH.. LOL It is NOT

Hawaii, or Florida, or Ca. Can you guess where???

We can take a  break from the tanning process and wave watching and

walk over to that white building. It’s a CASINO!! Let’s try our luck and

see who can win the most with the least amount of money wagered! 

Just checked the weather here it is a balmy 74 degrees and wonderful.

Beats the snow reports back home.. I know we will love it!! 

Hey what happened to Sherry??.. I heard she got lucky at the crap table!!.

ACKkk 

who the heck is parasailing over my beach?? Oh.. maybe that is JOE

he said he wanted an adventure.. watch out Joe, the landing can be a

doozy!! 

Wonder what is on the agenda for tomorrow…oh well it is better than

home that is for sure…

HAVE FUN!!

CABIN FEVER..

Literally been days since I have been out and about and so I think I have come down with "cabin fever" defined as "Noun....

Irritability, listlessness, and similar symptoms resulting from long confinement or isolation indoors during the winter." The sun has only been out briefly in over ten days and a snow storm is approaching. Makes me want to  G E T  A W A Y.... time for my virtual vacation. I used to do this at Spaces and it was pretty popular so here we go...

Ahhhhhhh  the smell of the ocean and the roar of the waves.. my kind of vacation..

wondering what tomorrow will bring...stay tuned.....

HELL HOUSE 2013

HELL HOUSE ..that's what I used to call the house next door to us where I used to live. What with drug dealers and critters living in it after it was abandoned there was plenty of reason to call it that. The whole neighborhood was on a rampage to have the house torn down or remodeled. While I  still lived there some nice folks bought it and re-modeled it and moved in. The neighborhood was saved UNTIL..mom passed away and we had to give up the old house. It took me months to clean it out and leave that old place. It had been in our family 60 plus years. 

NOW there is another HELL HOUSE..it's OUR old house. The house sat until someone finally bought it for a very reduced price. Neighbors were happy UNTIL....they found out that our house was being used for a loud rock band to play in the garage and the people who bought it were not so very nice. Our old house needed a new roof and many repairs.  The roof was repaired, but a whole lot of the house was left to go unattended. Neighbors called the police numerous times over the noise and had lots of run-ins over this and that. This is how the house looks now..quite the difference

They took out the bushes in the front and trimmed the old pine tree up, tore up the backyard and park cars in it and the yard. New owners are entitled to do as they please I tell everyone who tells me things. It's THEIR house now.  It's sad that the place has to be a problem for others though. I tell them things could be worse at least it is occupied. Life goes on, but inside that old house the spirit of my parents and all the hard work they put into it still lingers. The floors still creak and the doors open and shut on their own, lights flicker and noises are heard once in awhile. I hope the new owner is used to them by now. 

SPRING BARN

 OH MY I'm so very grateful and happy to see so many new comments on my Summer Barn photo. Thanks a million.. I thought I would post another view of it since so much of it was cut out.  The second or third roof on it is just now sagging with time.About half of it is still used for storage and as a garage. These were taken in June before the vines started turning color as in the  previous post. We thought the vines were poison ivy but turned out they weren't. Glad to know it because they grew all over it as you can see by the picture below. We haven't had a lot of snow yet this winter and I am still waiting to take a WINTER picture of it. 

                                           

MY SUMMER BARN

I added a photo of my summer barn here. There are some really nice photos of all kind of Charming Barns.  

This barn belongs to my sister. I took a photo this summer of the vine that crept all over the side of it. I just love old barns..it always makes me wonder who built them and what they kept inside and how long it has been around. My Grandfather had a dairy farm in Tennessee and he took us out in the barn many times to help with the milking. I loved watching him work. My were those milk cans heavy when full. Ahhh the memories...

WHAT ME AGAIN!!

Wow two posts in a week..I must be dreaming!!. Back in the old days I could blog every single day. There must have been a ton of things to talk about. Not much these days. I sit here trying to keep warm in the frigid temps we have been having. I noticed this morning that all the frost we have had comes in different patterns each day. This morning I saw this one and it looked like little stars..Can't wait to see what is up for tomorrow morning now..

                                                   

Do any of you remember these things..  it sort of looked like this only it didn't have the hood. Anyway, I found one hanging in the closet the other day. It was made of fleece and looked cozy. Thank God it was one size fits all. It must have been hanging in there for at least 15 years!!! I washed it and dried it and put it on as soon as I could. BOY is it warm!! I loved it! Sis asked me.."Did you shovel snow in that?".. I snorted, "NO..but now I wish I had." It was below zero out and that thing would have been perfect. It doesn't look as snazzy as the one pictured here. I think I will look into one though as inside the house is pretty cold too right now. Sitting watching tv or whatever it really is a handy thing to have. Next question.. IS ONE ENOUGH??  LOL I have used those snuggie things. I have tried several things but this one is really nice. ONLY ONE draw back..  with mine you have to unzip and completely get out of  it to go to the bathroom, is that ever hard in a hurry.. Ackkk...  

WELL enough of my thoughts on that.. Hope you all have a great weekend...

                                               

WINTER?? 2013

People around these parts ask..winter?..where?? We have had just a little snow and only a few days of harsh cold weather. The ground is green much like last winter with a little ice to scrape. The winds came in last night though and with it a howl and a blast of arctic cold and maybe some snow. It all depends on where you live I guess. Bad for us because the ground needs to freeze up to kill all those bugs that come out in the summertime. Well I know it is winter,because they are playing HOCKEY on tv again and the Superbowl is right around the corner. January here was, for all the records, nice!! I predict the groundhog will see his shadow though and we will have 3 months of cool weather. Our spring will show up in late June. That suits me fine. 

In other news..Is it me or have the playoffs for the championships been really good this year? I am not an avidfootball fan but I watched one on the edge of my seat, as it went back and forth. I think the teams are evenly matched this year. I used to be a real 49er fan but that was back when the name Joe Montana was famous. I am holding off on picking a real favorite yet. I see that PEPSI will be sponsor at the half time show with Beyoncee and I have to say I bet it will be spectacular. 

                                           
American Idol is back for it's 12th season. I gotta say I kinda like last years judges better. The new ones are so vibrant they sort of out shine the contestants. Not naming names but one is really over the top. There is some real talent out there from what I have seen. Could make a really good season this year. Got to admit I didn't watch much of it last year at all. LIFE got in the way.      

                                           
I am looking forward to Nascar's DAYTONA in February..have to wait almost the whole month but it will be worth it. It always is. I don't watch a whole lot of sports but the fast cars are right up my alley. I do have a favorite there and that is Stewart-Hass racing. I am a big Tony Stewart fan and his team did well last year. 

                                            
I am really liking the SCRABBLE game at Facebook..you know that place where we all hang out now. Seems Facebook took over and blogs kinda went out of style for most people. I do admit I don't blog everyday like I used to, heck if I get three or four times a month it will be good. I know that isn't good but it is just not like it used to be back in SPACES days..Remember something called MYSPACE??  Something happened, I forget what, but now it is a thing of the past. I hope blogs never get that way..mine won't.. it will be around as long as I can type a word and get access to it. I PROMISE..

                                           

SO this was my first post of 2013, I tried to make it more like I used to post at Spaces. It was fun..maybe I will keep it up more in 2013.
  
 HOPE THE NEW YEAR HAS BEEN GOOD TO YOU SO FAR!    
                                              

                                              

MEMORIES

Memories..at Christmas we have tons of them in our minds..the smells and the laughter. I added to them yesterday.. this cute boy sitting in a rocker.. will always be in my mind for Christmas 2012

The rocker was purchased for his mother when she was as young as he and then saved for her children. Finally it was back in use again, albeit quickly, and then he was  off to other toys. So very fast they grow..in a blink of an eye..and they are off to school and college and lives of their own. 

Theodore is not quite two, ahhh but the memories he will start having once he figures out that the wrapped packages have things he can actually PLAY with in them!! 

Now there is a face you can just love!!

CHRISTMAS 2012

It's time for the annual baking and making of holiday treats. This year instead of baking so much I just made the Rachael Ray fudge and covered a lot of cherries and pretzels. Upon seeing that a box of chocolate covered cherries in our DOLLAR store had went to 2$ a box I thought better of buying it and just decided to make my own. A tip from something I found told me to just add a tiny bit of Oil to some chocolate chips and microwave them until the melted.( Not water or anything else just oil.) This was the simple recipe..and it worked great. I didn't miss a fancy filling..the taste was there and that was enough. 



 Once I got started dipping.. I was having fun..I thought..WHAT ELSE can I cover. I got a bag of small twisted pretzels and covered some of them. Sis reminded me that some stores are selling those pretzels for quite a lot, so I tried butterscotch and white chips too. All came out pretty darn tasty. Nuts,fruit,whatever was available I was covering it..including my fingers!! The best thing about it is..it's simple, fast and you can keep them easy enough and place them in boxes to give away. LOVE IT!! Whatever goodies you are making or eating this Christmas season..hope you have a wonderful time doing them. 

           HOPE YOU ALL HAVE A  SAFE, WARM AND MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

THE REAL SANTA!!

This photo is making the rounds on the internet. It was taken last year, not by a real professional photographer but a woman who was taking her sleepy baby to visit Santa for the first time. I sure got a lump in my throat seeing it. What a wonderful Santa to visit..as close to real as it gets. Here is the story..

SUNNY WINTER DAY

December will be with us sooner than we know.  The sun was bright today with clouds trailing across the  blue sky, like smoke from winter chimneys. 

The view from my second floor window was broken only by the mighty  branches of an old walnut tree. Search as I might, I tried to find the woolly worm on my walk today
for signs of winter to come. All I could manage though, was a cotton tail rabbit running into the field .The silence of the day was broken by my footsteps and sounds of a nearby expressway. I looked to the skies and saw signs of the day coming to an end. The sun was beginning to set behind the neighbors barn. Time for walking done today, to search again tomorrow.

LIMBO LAND

LIMBO LAND

Sort of describes what is happening here right now.  I have kept things to myself for awhile waiting things out. I have been  in about 4 places in the past 6 months. I would not recommend it to anyone. Lots of times you feel like you are not sure just WHERE you are when you wake up in the morning. Some times you feel tired and sometimes scared and then other times you feel okay and ready to take on the world. 

I know this is a pretty open forum so I will not post the particulars, will just say that
I am doing what I can, and am still going. It's a hard life and only those who have been in my shoes will know how it feels. Seasons come and go and now the holidays are around and things are all scattered. No sense of normalcy. One day at a time I say, and I keep at it. 
CHERISH what you have dear blog family, this I do know. I am thankful for all the friends and supporters this Thanksgiving season. 
Thanksgiving Turkey Graphics

FALL BACK

FALL BACK..do I like it?? NO..not really.. I love the long days of summertime.I can do so much more in a day with them longer. Some get up early for work in the dark and now they come home in the dark. It's a sign of winter coming so I guess we just get used to it. I remember that last year the fall was warmer and it was nice to have winter take it's time getting here. Wish it was that way always. 

 I feel for all those who lost so much in Hurricane Sandy..now that it will get darker earlier..it will be colder too. No heat and winter right around the corner. People during hurricane Katrina did not have to worry about SNOW and ICE hampering their recovery process. I know some places never did recover there, some may not in New York or New Jersey either. Losing everything is so hard and so many will have to start over again. I pray for those who need help and shelter..it will be a long hard winter.
The RED CROSS is taking donations..I know that is a good thing but I also know that sometimes it takes awhile for the funds and the help to get where it is going. I was so relieved to see the marathon cancelled and those supplies moved to where they can be used. When they knew this once in a lifetime storm was coming they should have cancelled it sooner. It sure makes me wonder though,  with the elections coming, that the outcome could be accurate with so so many people NOT VOTING because they cannot get to the polls or have no poll to vote at. People are still in shock, reeling from the loss they have had and could care less about the election now. Will be interesting to see how it all comes out. 

FALL SCENES

   

LAST ROSE OF SUMMER

The ground covered in a heavy frost, I watched the steam rise off the deck, bright sun glaring down on it. I was glad I had ventured into the yard and picked the last rose of summer.