Monday

We have the correct kitchen counter now - yay!!  Here's what came the first time and the second photo is what it is supposed to be!  So now we have the right one!

While I'm showing pictures, I thought you should see some of my hibiscus.  They have been beautiful this year!  Enjoy!!

 

 

More later...

Packing

We are packing and getting ready to go back home.  I got all of my stuff ready today while Dave worked on the flowers outside.  He cut them all back and fertilized them.  Too bad we're going home right now because the hibiscus were absolutely beautiful!  Last year we had two reddish-orange plants and this year, one of them is a beautiful pink!

I also have an amaryllis that is blooming...but only one of them.  Hope the fertilizer helps the rest of the plants.

Tonight at cards, twelve ladies played.  My partner and I won by only 1200 points.  At one point we were ahead by only 15 points.  It was a fun game!

More later...

A Good Day!

Aren't these beautiful? They were growing on the sidewalk in the Los Olas area of Fort Lauderdale. I love hibiscus, and I especially love pink ones. I can't take credit for this photo, though. Our friend, Howard, took it. I didn't have my camera with me the day we walked by these! Thanks, Howard. Speaking of Howard, tomorrow is his birthday and Sudi is having a party tonight for him. I won't say how old he is, but let's just say it's a 0-birthday and it's somewhere between 50 and 70! Couldn't resist, Howard! I'm sure you'll get even somehow!!

Today, DH and I went out looking for a fountain for my perennial garden. We love hearing the water when we're near the ocean, or even at a lake, so I decided we needed a fountain to replicate that sound. I sure hope it makes sound - it's a cool fountain. It's called "playing by the water" and has a little child kneeling by the water looking at fish. I know I have to wait for it to get warmer to get it going, but I'm ready now! Today is a pretty good spring day - it's 62 degrees and mostly sunny. We even went out to our friends and got our '56 Chevy out of their shop. I got to drive it back - there's nothing quite like getting into a classic car on a warm day, especially when it's been a long winter!

I've got to run for now. More later....

53 Degrees!!

I just love this picture - again it's a picture of a Florida hibiscus. It was taken at night, however, so it has a definite "glow" about it. I like the effect!

Sometimes I feel like I'm doing a weather report on my blog, but in Iowa in the winter, the weather is the main topic of conversation! Today was supposed to be about 40 degrees, but it's 3:00 PM and it's 53!!! Wow - what a nice surprise!

I went to see my 102-year-old aunt today. This is the first time I've seen her since we moved her to the dementia unit last week. She seemed to be doing fine! She told me she really liked her new place. She even showed me her bed and where the bathroom is. She was lamenting the fact that she couldn't get around as well as she did before she moved there. She was a little confused, but nothing major today. It was a very good visit!

Tonight my DH has a meeting and won't be home until late and I have a wake to go to. Then I get to come home and vegetate! I had a massage this morning and after a massage, I like to just relax and I haven't gotten to do that today yet! Tomorrow morning I have card club where we'll be making valentine cards (I assume anyway). We were asked to bring red and white materials so that sounds like valentines to me! Hopefully I'll have something new to share tomorrow. Gotta run!

Pink Hibiscus

Here is another picture of my favorite flower, only this time, it's a pink hibiscus! This picture was taken at my in-laws park in Sarasota, FL. I just wish these flowers were all in my yard! I do have a couple of hardy hibiscus in my backyard; I have a red one and a white one with a red center. I plan to get a pink one this year. I'd like a yellow one, but I've never seen a yellow one that is hardy. Since we have had temperatures in the -20's this winter, they'd have to be very hardy in order to survive. I keep posting these pictures so that I can pretend that I'm in a warm climate where the sun shines most of the time! It's 72 in Ft Lauderdale where our daughter lives - it's 19 here! I think we're going to head down there around the 7th of February, so I don't have long until I'll be warm again! Our daughter has 3 little ones (our grand-children) that we adore and can hardly wait to see again.

Possible Blizzard!

This is for those of you who live in sunny, warm climates! It has been snowing here most of the day - the good news is that it hasn't accumulated too much yet! Tonight and tomorrow we're supposed to have windy conditions (25-35 mph NW winds!) which will mean a blizzard! Schools have already let out for today in anticipation of this weather event. I'm sure glad I am retired and can just stay home! So, in light of the weather in Iowa, I'm going to post a picture that was taken in the Sarasota, Florida area where my in-laws are in the winter. This way, we can think warm thoughts at least!

I have several cards to make, so I'd better get busy. My brother just called telling me that we're going to have to move my 102-year-old aunt. She is becoming a problem in the assisted living unit she lives in. They want her moved to an Alzheimer's unit. When we visit, which is weekly, she is sometimes confused about her past, but she's never had what we considered Alzheimers - just some dementia. She didn't even have this until after she turned 100! Hopefully, we'll do the right thing for her.