Frank Lloyd Wright....

Happy Halloween!!

Lakeland is home to Florida Southern College, which has the largest collection of Frank Lloyd Wright designed buildings in the world.

Two years ago, FSC started a building project that has brought world-wide attention to our fair city and the college.  Mr. Wright designed a Usonian house and planned several for the campus, as faculty housing (back in the mid-1930s). They were never built until now.  The plans were dusted off, modernized with up-to-code heating and cooling, plumbing, etc., and one of the houses has been built, to be used as a welcome center and museum on the campus.  The public opening is tomorrow evening, and I hope to attend. I can't wait to see inside this house!

I drive right by the site every day, on my way to and from work.  It is actually only one block from the Museum.  I posted construction photos on Multiply ages ago and talked about how exciting it was.  At one time, I wanted to be an architect. I love architecture and would rather look at a magazine full of floor plans, than fashions, any day.

Here is a wonderful article from this morning's newspaper, with pictures and a little history.

http://www.theledger.com/article/20131030/NEWS/131039983?tc=cr

If you don't know who Frank Lloyd Wright is (I did a paper for art class, on his Imperial Hotel, when I was in high school:  Imperial Hotel), here is a link with his info:  Frank Lloyd Wright 

Anyway, I know some of you will be bored to tears with this, but I am excited about it, and wanted to share.  Thanks for indulging me! Thanks for stopping by!  Happy Halloween!!  Peace, love & hugs.

It's Hodgepodge (Hump Day) Wednesday!!

Thank you, Joyce, for another week of thought-provoking questions!  If you want to join in, pop over and give it a go:  http://www.fromthissideofthepond.com

1. What's something you're dealing with that might be described as tricky?  Dealing with volunteer Board members is always tricky.

2.  What's your treat of choice?  When I was a kid, trick or treating, I loved getting popcorn balls, and one man in the neighborhood handed out nickels…you could get a whole bag full of penny candy, at the corner candy store, for a nickel way back then! We didn’t have to worry about tainted candy, razor blades, or something nasty in homemade goodies (like popcorn balls and candy apples). Today, at nearly age 62, my best treat is being able to sleep in – no alarm clock. You can have your chocolate and ice cream, or whatever. Just let me sleep!

3. Did you/will you carve a jack-o-lantern this month? Which real (living or dead) or fictional 'Jack' would you most like to meet in person? Why? Nope. We don’t hand out candy anymore because all we get are kids who are too old to be trick or treating. I have a few decorations inside, but nothing outside. No pumpkins.  As for meeting a Jack in person….living, Jack Black because I think he is very funny; dead would be Jack Benny, who was also very funny,  plus I love that era and would have a zillion questions for him.

4.  In your opinion, what's the grossest sounding word in the English language?  Vajajay  (A stupid word, and much more gross than just saying vagina.)

5. When did your heart last skip a beat?  Every time Joe kisses me! ☺  (Even after 30 years – 28 married.)

6. Monster Mash by Bobby 'Boris' Picket, Michael Jackson's Thriller, Werewolves of London by Warren Zevon, or Ray Parker Jr.'s Ghostbusters...your favorite 'scary' tune?  Monster Mash is fun, but Thriller really gets you going!

7.   It was a dark and stormy night when:  I heard a knock, knock, knock on the back door.  Who could it be?  It was Johnny, from next door, selling candy for the soccer team. Whew!  His mom wouldn’t let him go any farther than our back porch on such a bad night. Chocolate makes any weather seem better! I bought two of those bars! (Not a true story!)

8.  Insert your own random thought here.  I’m tired. Not so random, but that’s my thought.

Thanks for stopping by!! Wishing you a blessed day!!
Peace, love & hugs.

I'm a tolerant person....

....to a point.

Every day, without exception, a car alarm goes off in the parking lot outside my window.  We share our lot with the city library, so there are lots of cars in and out, all day long. BUT - every day...that's every day - someone's horn starts honking because they hit the wrong button on the remote.

Does anyone even pay attention to those things anymore, other than to be annoyed? I don't call the police when I hear one. What good are they now, when there are so many going off because of happy fingers on the remote locks?

That's really all I have for today. It's just another day at work, with nothing planned for this evening.  Joe did say he was going to do some cleaning today. That tells you that my not cleaning over the weekend has resulted in more dust and cat hair than even Joe can stand!!  LOL  We'll see how much is done when I get home. God bless him!!

Thanks for stopping by!  Peace, love & hugs.

Monday musings....

Today was October's Board Meeting. It always causes some consternation, but 99% of the time, it goes very well, and today was no different.

I had to do payroll and got that done.  Just another day at the Museum!

Have those of you on Facebook noticed all the giraffes popping up as profile pictures?  I had to change mine (but didn't leave the giraffe up for three days, as I should have). There is a riddle, and if you don't get the answer right, you have to change your photo. I thought sure I had the right answer....but didn't. LOL  It was fun to play, anyway. I don't usually play the games over there, but a good friend started it and I decided to play along.

Our weather has been delightful these past few days! I love it when our night time temps get down into the 60s. We leave the window open in our bedroom, and it is such good sleeping weather! It's great to have the AC off, too. The humidity is also gone now, so lovin' it!!

I haven't reported on our cat pooping problem since I got advice from all of you a few weeks ago.  Lucy is the culprit, and I am happy to say there have only been two 'accidents' since we got the third litter box - even though no one uses it.  We caught Vinny intimidating her during one of her mishaps, so we now know for sure what is happening. He is just relentless when he decides to stalk one of the other cats. I think things are smoothing out a bit between him and Lucy, but he is a busy boy - into everything. Hopefully he will grow out of it soon!!

Monday is behind us.....hard to believe it will be November on Friday. Good grief.  Thanks for stopping by!! Peace, love & hugs.

Happy Sunday....

......but don't you wish there was another day between Saturday and Sunday?

We had a fun time at church this morning, helping prepare the food for the Parish Picnic, celebrating our 50th Anniversary.  Mass was at 11:00, in our Pavilion, with the Bishop and many of the Priests who worked at Resurrection over those 50 years. While all of that was going on, some of the Knights of Columbus and members of our Council of Catholic Women, were cooking burgers and hotdogs, wrapping them in foil, getting ready for the Mass to be over.  We wrapped 100s of burgers and hotdogs. There was also yellow rice, drinks, and desserts.  They were prepared for around 600 people, but I think they should have prepared for 800.

When Joe and I left, we ran some errands before coming home. I have the laundry started and do not intend to do anything else today (except make us some dinner - steaks are thawing).

I hope you had a good Sunday!! Wishing you a good week ahead! Thanks for stopping by - here are some photos from the celebration this morning.  Peace, love & hugs.

Saturday Night Already!!

What started out as a lazy day, ended up in a sort of whirlwind!

The Blues bash at the Museum last night was great fun. Joe and I left just after 8:00, though. There are a few places to sit, but those chairs get taken quickly and, since I am a staff member, I don't feel right grabbing a chair when a paying person may want to sit down. Anyway, that said, my knees only take so much of standing on the marble floor. We sure enjoyed visiting with friends, eating some good food from Texas Cattle Co., and hearing some great blues music, though!

The two bands were Billy Seward, and The Lauren Mitchel Band. We didn't get to hear Billy Seward play, but I have been listening to his music this week, on Spotify.

Here is Lauren Mitchell, if you want to hear her sing. Her group is really good (I think):  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xn2REb-uxRA

And here is Billy Seward, also very good:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uayIgbkVdr4

I took a few photos, before the crowd arrived.

Outside, as guests approach the front door (a beautiful 1956 Thunderbird...)

This was in the middle of the food station....

This is looking at the stage.

The Lauren Mitchell Band, on stage.

My boss, Claire, being silly. She asked me to take the picture, and then posted it on 

Facebook, so I'm okay with sharing it here.

The cats woke me up this morning, wanting to be fed.  Sleeping until 7:30 is still sleeping in for me.  Joe got up a little later and I made us a nice breakfast of eggs, fried potatoes, bacon and toast.  After that, I can't really remember what I did (or didn't) do, but before I knew it, it was time to get ready for church (the 4:00 Vigil Mass). Then we went out to eat, at Fish City Grill, and (wonder of wonders) since we  parked next to Bed Bath & Beyond, we had to take a run through there. We got some flavored K-Cups for the Keurig Coffee machine, and while there we ran into our neighbors, Bob & Ginny (the we watch each other's cats neighbors). Stood there and talked for at least a half hour! We laughed that we live next door to each other, and have to catch up in a store!  Got home and put one of those flavored coffees in the machine and sat myself down to catch up here and on Facebook.

Tomorrow, it is back to church for us, but I will be helping get the food ready for the 50th Anniversary Parish Picnic.  The Bishop of the Orlando Diocese, which includes Polk County, will be saying Mass at 11:00, outside under our Pavilion. It's a pretty big deal. I charged my camera batteries, and will try to get a few photos to share.

That's all I have for tonight! I hope you have had a good Saturday, and wish you a blessed Sunday!  Thanks for stopping by! Peace, love & hugs.

Random Friday Fragments...

I'm seeing posts for Friday Fragments and Random Five Friday. Since I don't really join in on these memes, I thought I could combine them for my Friday post and do Random Friday Fragments!  LOL

I have so many new friends here, on Blogger, and only several who also came over from Multiply (I still miss a whole bunch of my Multiply friends)...so my oldest/dearest may already know some of this, but most of you probably don't know these fragments of my life.

• I am the oldest of four children, with two younger sisters still living and a younger brother who died of cancer 10 years ago, at age 48.  I also lost my parents to cancer, and am an ever vigilant survivor myself.

• I played the trumpet in the school band, starting in 5th grade then in Jr.High Band, and on to high school concert and marching bands. I LOVED band.  I have also had piano and organ lessons, but I started late and just could never get the hang of reading bass clef music, after playing trumpet for so long. I can memorize a piece for the piano or organ, but it takes me forever to get the left hand playing along with the right!  My two "go-to" songs on the piano were "The House of the Rising Sun" and the theme from Romeo & Juliet "A Time For Us". That also dates me!! LOL

• I was married the same year I graduated from high school (1970). That marriage lasted 10 years.  He went to my high school, though is four years older than me. It was during Vietnam, and he was in the Marine Corp when we  officially met (I knew who he was) and dated.  Divorce is not pretty or fun, and was rougher on our families than it was on us. We grew up in a very small town. We are still friendly when we see each other (though rarely) and have both moved on to happy marriages. Joe and I have been married 28 years.  His first wife and the mother of our two 'boys' died of cancer.  Joe met Bill at my brother's funeral and his comment was "He's a nice guy." I said, yes, he is....

• I wanted to be an art teacher at one time. I gave up college for marriage and the white picket fence (which never materialized - I worked while he went to school. He finished his Masters Degree and then he wanted out). So, I finally got my degree at age 50, of which I am quite proud, but it was in business and finance, rather than art education.  I love doing accounting in an art museum!! What could be better for me?!

• I have a business license for jewelry and crafts, but my inventory is long gone, and I haven't really worked at it for three or four years. I need to either get back to it, or get rid of my supplies and move on!  I like having a creative outlet, but don't make the time for it. Sigh.

So, there you have five random fragments of my life for this Friday! We have our Red White & the Blues event tonight, so it will be another late night getting home.  Thanks for stopping by!  Peace, love & hugs.

Thankful Thursday....

I've said it before, that I am thankful every day, but Thursday is the day we seem to like for counting blessings in our blogs. It's a good thing!!

• I am thankful for my job and my place of employment. I love my job and my co-workers. I am proud of what we do in the community, and proud of our truly beautiful building and the art it holds.
• I am thankful for my husband and my family/extended family. I can't imagine my life without these amazing people in my life.
• I am thankful for friends, old and new - and that includes YOU!!
• I am thankful that tonight is my facial night! I get to see my friend, Dawn, and catch up with her and her family (and pets) as she cleanses and softens my skin. I am her last client, so we can talk all we want!
• I am thankful to be having lunch with my friend, Shirley, tomorrow!!
• I am thankful that tomorrow night is the Museum's Red White & the Blues event. Good music, good food, and good friends enjoying it all!! Fun ahead!!

I hope your Thursday has been a good one!! Friday Eve!! Thanks for stopping by! Peace, love & hugs.

Hodgepodge Wednesday!!

I had my Hodgepodge answers done, and left them on my home computer. I usually drop them into my DropBox, so I can access them from work and post them first thing Wednesday morning.  I did my best to recreate my answers quickly, rather than wait until this evening to post.

Thank you Joyce, for another week of Hodgepodge! If you want to join us in this weekly endeavor, you can join from Joyce’s site:  http://www.fromthissideofthepond.com/

1. When it comes to good manners, what two top your list of most important?  Just the very simple “Please” and “Thank you”.  Just those two signs of respect will lead to others, I think.

2. Let's open a proverbial can of worms...Common Core.  Are you familiar with the term (talking education reform in the USA)?  If so, care to share your thoughts? In your opinion, what is one of the biggest issues schools (in your home country) face today?  I work with teachers, and my sisters are teachers.  It’s not the teachers!!  Teachers can only do what they are told to do.  We need to get away from the national Department of Education (get rid of it all together!) and put the responsibility back at the state level, where it belongs. The only ‘common core’ should be basic reading, writing and arithmetic.  Throw in FACTUAL history, sensible science, and kids will be learning what they need to know to get along in life.  We also need to bring back patriotism, prayer and respect.  Pay teachers what they are worth, get rid of ridiculous testing ‘standards’ and teach our kids things they really need to know to get into college or to practice a trade.  Making certain grade levels in order to qualify for federal money is not the way to teach our children, or to reward educators.  Our colleges have become hot beds of socialism and even communism.  I am appalled at our education system today. How’s that for a can of worms? You touched a nerve!!  LOL  I could expand on these complaints and write volumes...  wish I knew how to fix it.

3. Name a celebrity whose fashion sense you admire and share why.  I can’t think of any current celebrity whose fashion sense I admire. There is nothing pretty about being nearly naked in public. I admire the fashions on the 1940/50s celebrities.  Tasteful, classy and gorgeous!

4. How are you affected by the changing seasons?  In the Fall and Spring, I get sinus problems. It’s not allergies, but changes in the barometric pressure, I think.   Other than that, the changing seasons are very subtle in Florida. We don’t have drastic drops in temperature (usually) and greens stay green.

5. Scariest book you've ever read?  “1984” and we are living it now. Terrified!!  I have also read some scary Stephen King and Dean Koontz books.

6. What time of day are you most hungry? What's your go-to snack?  You know, I am rarely really hungry, praise God.  When 3:00 rolls around, I find I am usually looking for something to perk me up, rather than fill me up. Sometimes I want salty and sometimes I want sweet.  It all depends.

7. Do you lean more towards being too needy or too independent? Which do you find harder to deal with in others?  I am independent, but don’t think I’m TOO independent. I still need a shoulder now and then. I find needy people difficult to deal with. I can be sympathetic for a little while, and then I just want to tell them to get over it and get on with it!! I don’t do whiny well.

8.  Insert your own random thought here.  Only those of us in the southeastern region will understand, but our grocery chain, Publix, trains their employees so well in customer service. I am always amazed at how pleasant and helpful the employees are. Publix is a great place to shop. They are moving into Tennessee….one in Chattanooga opening soon.  We love Publix.  The Publix headquarters is right here in Lakeland and it is our 2^nd highest employer. The Jenkins family is made up of wonderful, philanthropic souls who support local organizations, especially those involved in education and with children. I am always impressed.  (Went shopping there last night, and was thinking about this…random thought.)  Publix is the largest privately held grocery chain in the USA.

Thanks for stopping by!! Wishing you a good HUMP DAY!   Peace, love & hugs.

Tuesday....

I posted yesterday that I had a meeting to attend last night. My church women's group meets the third Monday of every month. I am so blessed to be back at our old church, serving with good friends. 

We have fund raisers all the time, including a 50/50 drawing. Last month, I won the 50/50, but gave my winnings back to the group. Last night's winner did the same. It is not much (+/- $20), so it helps the group to leave it in the treasury.  There was a raffle going on for a beautiful quilt. I bought 6 tickets for $5.00. The drawing is at the end of November. I don't imagine I'll win, but one never knows. It is made from purples, and purple is one of my two favorite colors. Our speaker was from a local women's center for pregnant women. They need a new ultrasound machine. I gave money toward that too. It was an expensive night!!

I had a prescription ready at Publix tonight, and there were a few things on the shopping list. Do you have a shopping list in the kitchen? I have one of those magnetic note pads on the refrigerator and when I notice we need something, I jot it down. We stopped at a favorite BBQ place for some dinner before shopping, so that was nice, to not have to cook (yet again!).

Our granddaughter, Lauren, loves pandas. I found this webcam site and sent her the link.  She emailed me today that she loves it so much, she is making it her desk-top background. It has been fun to peek in at the pandas, so I will share it with you:  http://www.sandiegozoo.org/pandacam/index.html

I hope you have had a good Tuesday!! Thanks for stopping by. Peace, love & hugs.

I double dog dare you.....

.....to watch this video without a tissue.  This is one of the most beautiful love stories I've ever heard.

Fred & Lorraine - a love story set to music.


That's my post for today. I have my church women's meeting tonight and won't be home until 9:00 or so (almost my bed time). It's been a good day at work!!

Thanks for stopping by! Peace, love & hugs!!

Sunday Night...

Another weekend is almost over. We have a busy week ahead!

The picture above is of beautiful downtown Lakeland, looking across Lake Mirror. Lake Mirror Park is where the car show was Friday night (see my Saturday post). Our city is such a beautiful place. We don't have mountains, bubbling brooks, or changing leaves, but we DO have Lake Mirror, and quite a few other lovely lakes. This photo was taken by my boss, Claire, on one of her walks. She  posts photos on FB every day from her morning and evening walks.

Tomorrow night, I have my church women's group. I was asked to bring something baked, to share with everyone. I made pumpkin bread today. One for us and one to take tomorrow night. It's from my mom's recipe, which is listed behind my Recipe tab, if you are interested.

I have a few meetings this week, for work, my facial is Thursday night, and the Museum's annual Red White & the Blues event is Friday night. I am having lunch with my friend, Shirley, on Friday, too.

Next weekend is our church's 50th anniversary celebration picnic. I volunteered to help with the food, so will be busy most of the morning, Sunday.

Our company left late yesterday afternoon. The tour at the university lasted longer than we thought, and they decided to head home (a three hour drive) instead of going back downtown for more classic cars.  Joe and I decided we were too tired to go, so we are just happy we got to see some great cars on Friday night.

I am finishing the laundry (yes, it's Sunday), and we are getting ready to watch "Revenge".  I made a BIG pot of beef vegetable soup today, with Thursday's left over beef roast. There is enough for a couple of lunches this week, and for a quick dinner tomorrow evening.

This post is kind of discombobulated, but I'm not going to go back to edit it, so sorry for my strange thought process tonight!! LOL

Thanks for stopping by!! Wishing you a great week ahead! Peace, love & hugs.

Saturday!!!

Good morning!

The car show was great fun last night, and 'the boys' are going to go enjoy some more of it today, when Rob and Brett get back from the tour at Southeastern University, which includes lunch for them.  They were very excited about Florida Southern College and the tour they got yesterday.

Last night, we took our friends out to dinner, at Texas Roadhouse, where we all enjoyed our meals. After dinner, Jenny and Sky headed back to Naples so Sky could play in a soccer game this morning. Rob and Brett stayed over for today's college tour and more of the classic car show.  I made us a good breakfast this morning, with pancakes, eggs, toast, sausage, bacon, fresh fruit and Greek yogurt. We all had a little of it all, I think.

I plan to be a bit lazy today and do not plan to go walk around more classic cars. I walked about two miles last night, took three Tylenol when I went to bed, and want to give the knees a rest today. I was hurting by the time we got home. I really hate not being able to do what I want to do. Pain and disability are so frustrating, and my problem is minuscule compared to what many people experience on a daily basis. I know I am blessed that I could handle two miles without assistance (though Joe did take my hand the last couple of blocks as we went back to the car).

Anyway, I took a few photos of the cars, and of Brett (Tristan's friend) with the Smokey and the Bandit car. My phone battery tapped out, so I didn't get as many shots as I would have liked.  One section of the show last night was new 2014 cars, and the prices are outrageous. There were mainly show cars and hot rods, at this venue last night, along with live music on the stage. Today, the classic cars will cover around eight blocks in our downtown area, while the event last night was at the Lake Mirror Park.

Quite a few of the cars had neon lights in the engines. It looked pretty amazing in person!

The crowd (approximately 6,000) was enjoying the live music. You can't see them all 

in this shot, which is at the top of a hill and up from the stage, nor can you see all the people 

looking at the cars around the lake. It was really crowded. There were also classic, wooden, in-board motor boats on the lake, which were pretty amazing and so beautiful.

More neon!

Thanks for stopping by! I wish you all a great Saturday! Peace, love & hugs.

Finally Friday!!

Just a quick note today, since we have company and will be out most of the evening.

Our friends arrived around noon. The tour at the college was for 1:00, so we grabbed some lunch at a little deli/grill on campus. It was fun.  Tonight, we will go out for dinner, then to the classic car show. See yesterday's blog for links to the college and the car show, if you are interested.

The Frank Lloyd Wright designed fountain (Water Dome) came on while we were eating...couldn't have timed it better had I tried! It is so beautiful!

Tomorrow, they are touring Southeastern University, also here in Lakeland. That one starts at 10:30. I think the 'girls' are going back tonight, so Sky can play in a soccer game tomorrow. They drove up in two cars.

I'll have more photos to share tomorrow! Wishing you a good evening and a great weekend! Thanks for stopping by! Peace, love & hugs.

It is Friday Eve, Ya'll...

Thursdays are almost as good as Fridays!

I found out, a few hours ago, that we are getting company tomorrow! It's all good, but I will be cleaning house and getting beds made up tonight.

People we know, from Naples, are coming up to see one of our local colleges. Grandson Tristan's best friend, Brett, is interested in attending Florida Southern College. FSC is just a block from where I work, at Polk Museum of Art. I got a tour all set up for them tomorrow. It really works out great because this is the weekend for the Lake Mirror Classic Car Show, here in Lakeland, and they are classic car buffs, too. It should be fun, if not a little hectic.

Florida Southern College:  https://www.flsouthern.edu/
Lake Mirror Classic:  http://www.lakemirrorclassic.com/

The neighbors' cats are doing fine. We've been taking care of them, bringing in the mail and newspaper, etc., while Bob and Ginny are on vacation in New York City. They get back tomorrow night, late.

I don't really have much else to report. Glad my day at work has gone well. I put a beef roast in the crockpot this morning, so dinner will be mostly done when I get home. That's also a good thing, since we will have work to do, to prepare for guests!!

I hope your day has been good and I wish you a good evening and Friday! Thanks for stopping by! Peace, love & hugs.

Hump Day Hodgepodge!

Thank you, Joyce, for another great Hodgepodge! 

If you want to play along, visit http://www.fromthissideofthepond.com/

1. What was your biggest worry five years ago?  Is it still a worry?   First of all, I’m not sure what was going on in my life five years ago - same old, same old! (LOL)  Second, I need to say that I try very hard not to worry about things. Seriously.  Joe has taught me that worrying is usually pretty silly and a waste of emotion and effort. His favorite quote is “Worry is interest paid in advance for trouble that rarely comes.”  And if trouble does come, worrying about didn’t keep it from happening or help you to deal with it later. When I have concerns, I try to remember “You are my Shepherd, I shall not want” and I let Him take care of it for me. I say that with sincerity. I really don’t worry anymore. Thank you Joe, and thank you Jesus!

2. Yesterday (October 15th) was National Grouch Day...what makes you grouchy? What cheers you up when you're feeling grouchy?  Not enough sleep can make me grouchy, so getting enough sleep would cheer me up tremendously.  Stupidity (mine included!) can sometimes make me grouchy, and walking away shaking my head cheers me up. Cold calls on the phone from people who don’t listen when you say NO can make me very grouchy, and quietly hanging up on them while they are still talking cheers me up!  I am, most times, pretty even tempered and try to understand my feelings first before being grouchy. It’s MY problem and I shouldn’t make it someone else’s problem. Not always easy to do, though!

3.  In one word, how does it feel to be photographed?  Horrid!

I hate having my picture taken. I am the most un-photogenic person on earth. I am overweight and have frizzy hair. Please let me take the photos!

4. Besides your parents, who would you say had the greatest influence on you in choosing your life path?  Explain.  My parents gave me lots of ‘rope’ to try new things and didn’t brow-beat me to stick with any one thing, bless them!  I can’t name another person who really influenced me (though I had some amazing teachers in art and music), but have followed the path that gets put in front of me, always. I kind of ‘go with the flow’ and trust that God is leading.  So far, so good!

5. The crisp days of autumn are here ...what's something you like to eat, but only if it's crisp? The standard ‘fall’ answer would have to be a nice crisp, tart apple, right from the tree. I will spit out a pithy, mushy apple and throw it away. Has to make a good noise when I bite into it, and splattering juice on my face with that first bite is good, too!!

6. What's the most useless object you own? Probably the TVs in the house. They suck our time away and provide nothing of value, other than useless, mindless entertainment.  I could also mention the hedge trimmers, which hang in the garage, or Joe’s table saw that never gets used anymore……

7.  Share a favorite fall memory. I’ve mentioned it before….going to the apple orchard in October.

8.  Insert your own random thought here.  I attended a volunteer orientation last night, for Lakeland’s first Honor Flight. It will leave Lakeland Linder Airport on November 12^th, carrying 80 WWII veterans and their guardians (each has a mentor/guardian assigned to them). What a wonderful project this is, to make sure our WWII veterans get the chance to visit the WWII Memorial in Washington, D.C.  I only hope this stupid shut-down is over by then, so there won’t be a problem with them being honored as they should be.

 Open-air memorials should not have been barricaded anyway. How ignorant…something that costs us $0 to have open, all of a sudden costs us the expense of guards, barricades and signage to keep people from just walking by. Ignorant power-mongering. (That 'stupid' thing that makes me grouchy!)  Washington needs to be cleaned out and we need to start over in 2014 and 2016.  New everyone. Not such a random thought, after all.