Blog, Shop, And Party On

This week, I worked a lot (too much really) at blogging, while the girls did the Route 127 yard sale for Therese's antique shop.  Also, Patty house shopped for a place here in Fairfield Glade.  We got together to relax and/or party a few afternoons at the pool or in the evening for dinner.

Wednesday morning I did four loads of laundry, with Stevie's help.  There were tons of sheets and towels, which were easy to fold at any rate.

Patty and Therese (who were staying at a house on Lake St. George) were off shopping for antiques and at 10:30, Joe left to golf and then play poker.
That left just Mom and I here.  Mom was very talkative while I was working at my blog, which bogged me down, but it was good to converse with her, one on one, in a quiet setting.

I was up and down from my desk, switching laundry, watching over Mom, walking the dog, and snacking.

At 2:00, I met Patty and her realtor at a house she was very interested in buying.  It was very nice, but I had a couple reservations.  While I was gone, Maggie kept Mom company and Mom kept an eye on Maggie.  It poured rain on the way home and Maggie was hiding under Mom's bed, where Mom was napping, when I got home.

More chatting with Mom.  Then after I got her and the pet's their dinner, Shirley picked me up and we went to the St. George house, where Patty and Therese had us over for a dinner party.  They have a beautiful view of Lake St. George (seen right).  The chicken, pasta, and veggies were wonderful and best yet was the fruit pizza.  We got a tour of Patty's friend's house and then sat and talked real estate, Fairfield Glade happenings, antiquing, and ocean cruises.

Mom was in bed and Joe headed for bed when I got home at 9:00.

Thursday, the official start of the Route 127 sale, Joe and Mom were on the road a little before 6 am.




I did another load of laundry with Mom's sheets and towels and ran the dishwasher.  I put away card table and chairs, and finished getting the house back to normal.  The peace and quiet was nice, but it was almost too quiet.  There was more partying planned in the near future, so I focused on getting last week's blog finished.  Patty dropped by with the second piece of furniture to store in our garage and then she and Therese were back out on Route 127 shopping.

These photos of Mom sharing her ice cream with Stevie were taken the day before.

At lunch time, I sorted through and cleaned out the fridge, including wiping down some gunky shelves.  Most of the leftovers I had sent in a cooler with Mom, along with the three loaves of frozen banana bread Patti had made for her.  I found in the way back of the fridge two old stir-fry meals, in white boxes, in a bag.  I was guessing it was Cathy and Ralph's they had brought here.



Once the rental company came and took Mom's bed out of the mancave, I vacuumed before moving Joe's chair back in.  I ended up doing the whole downstairs while I was at it.  Things were really starting to feel neat, clean, and orderly again.






Needless to say, I didn't get much blogging done before I had to head to work at 1:30.  It had been a slow morning at the pool, but actually picked up a bit in the afternoon.  Patty and Therese came to swim for a little while at the end of their shopping day.

It was a slow, quiet, cloudy Friday, with a few sprinkles; good for napping.  Seen right, one of Stevie's favorite napping spots, in the back of our closet.  Patty came by and picked me up so we could cruise the neighborhood where the two houses that she is interested in are at.  Dog walks, extra tea, a nap, and snacks were interspersed with blogging, and I finally got last week's blog finished and posted. 

I was off to Shirley's at 7 pm, where Patty also came and we met with two other couples to hear about possible shore excursions for the cruise Patty and Shirley are going on.  It looks like a great cruise and I am looking for a roommate so I can go too.  For Celebrity Reflection Cruise information (click here).

It had considerably cooled off overnight, and was 58 degrees when I got up Saturday morning.  When I left for my 9-2 work shift, Stevie was comfortably napping on a lounge chair pad on the back porch.  Even though the water and air were cool, the sun was out, so I had several customers.







After work, I stayed at the pool till 3:00, swimming and sunning with Patty and Therese.  While we were lounging around, Patty got a call that her counter offer on the house was accepted, so if all goes well, she will be closing on it in September.  Whoot whoot... time to celebrate!


When I got home, I watered all the plantings in back and then readied myself for a night out partying.  Patty treated Therese and I to dinner at Reds to celebrate finding and buying a house.  Brian was there with Andy and Rita, so we joined them.  Michelle came in a little latter and joined us, after Andy and Rita left.  Terry wasn't there, so the Karyokee wasn't nearly as good.

The Iowan's had to head home early because they were getting up early to drive home.  Michelle talked me into joining her at Mega Bites for a party celebrating the life of the brother (co-owner) who had died in May.

Michelle and I

Mega Bites was a fun place, with a younger crowd and a lot of dancing (video).  But it was a bit too loud and smokey for my liking.  I had a good time though.

The bar even served a full breakfast at 12:30.  Boy did this remind me of my college days when we would get breakfast before going home, wee into the late hours.  I didn't have breakfast and was home by 1:00, but it sure felt late to me.


Sunday morning started at 6 am, but I was dragging.  Just after 7 am I drove over to the St. George house to pick up a chair the girls couldn't fit into Patty's car and I also got their trash.  They were soon on the road for home in Iowa.  Shirley wasn't going to church, so I skipped out also.  Extra tea didn't do the trick as I was trying to revive myself, so I took a nap. 

I drove to Patty's future neighborhood and walked Maggie (90 minutes) all around the grid of roads.  This photo is of Maggie looking at Patty's soon to be house.










After lunch I went to the barn and had a nice ride on Amiga.  We rode 90 minutes, taking the trail by Daddy's creek, with a side trip to the #14 tee box of Dorchester.

Back at the barn, I removed Amiga's saddle and did some round pen work (bareback), practicing leg cues.  She had troubles staying along the fence and kept wanting to cut in on the circle, but otherwise did well.  We were in rather tall, lush grass, so I relaxed on her back and let her graze.  Saddle sister Jean took this photo, capturing the sweet moment. 

I let Amiga continue to graze in the round pen while I hung out at the barn, chatting and catching up with some of the ladies.



Seen above, Amiga was ready to come in from the round pen for dinner, since all the others were in.  But in this (video) she doesn't appear to be in that big of a hurry.

I love the barn in the evening when all the horses are in munching on their night's hay.  Seen right, Zorro was checking out Rocky's food supply before they were both turned back out for the night (video).

Getting home to Maggie after 5:00, we did our usual routine of dinner, walk, and some computerizing.

Monday was a rainy day with it coming down steady much of the time.  We needed the rain and this saved me having to go out and water.  My two container tomato plants have to be watered every day.  They are producing well right now, more than I can eat.  The sweet basil at the base of this tomato plant is also doing great.

I got this blog started and computerized all morning.  Joe got home from his Florida / Cherokee trip before noon.  Maggie alerted me to Mama deer and her three fawns, but scared them all off before I could get her quiet.  I took corn down to the three rocks I put it on and the doe watched from the other side of the creek. 


Once I was up on the deck, she came back to eat.  Her little ones did not join her.  She went to each feeding spot.










My only note-worthy accomplishment for the day was two loads of laundry, getting a needed tetanus shot (got a deep puncture wound Saturday) and adding the Shingle's vaccine to the same arm while I was at the pharmacy. 

Then I went to the gym and did a 40 minute weight workout and 55 minutes on the elliptical.  I would have quit the aerobic workout sooner, but had to watch the end of a Love It, or List It episode.  

I was hoping Joe and I could go to the movies but we didn't see anything worth paying for, so it was a quiet evening at home.  I did get in a 30 minute dog walk during a brief stop in the rain.  My arm was starting to feel sore, along with other muscles I had worked, so I did a good stretch before bed.

My mornings are always filled with the cat and dog.  Tuesday I took some photos to send Britney and Courtney, since they are always sharing photos of their kitties.

I didn't lounge around or work at my computer too long because I had an errand to run and groceries to buy.  Joe did book a cabin on the 11 day Caribbean cruise in February.  I have till mid November to find a cabin mate.  Let me know if you are interested.  Link to itinerary is above.







I took two checks to Christie, on Otter Point Lane, off Peavine, to reserve my spot in a riding clinic, a stall for Amiga, and a place to park our horse trailer, where I will camp.  I saw these two fawn while going down her drive.

They got split up and this one realized it was in a bind, with nowhere to run.  The two soon got re-connected.











The sun was hotter than expected during my 2-7 shift and I wished I had worn a swim suit.  I got home just after 7:30 as usual, but was in bed at an early 9 pm.

Rain was in the forecast Wednesday, but held off until after dark that night.  Since I would be trailering Amiga Friday, I decided to do a practice session.  I went to the barn early and loaded up tack and got Amiga ready.  Then Joe came and helped with loading the horse.








Amiga wasn't too bad to load (five minutes), and we drove to Arcacia Way, a hiking trail near Dorchester parking lot.  Once I was ready to ride, Joe took the trailer back to the barn and I rode Amiga over to the pool.


Amiga takes a look at the cement pond.

Nancy had been requesting I ride Amiga there, so I did.  She took this photo of us.

It was almost a two and a half hour ride back to the barn.  I stayed on all the undeveloped roads so had to wind way back in the woods.  We stopped at Overlook Trail to rest and sight see for a minute.  Once back, I hosed Amiga off, we had both gotten pretty hot.  I turned her out to pasture and she rolled as usual.  Then I loaded more supplies (needed for the upcoming weekend) onto the trailer.




I got home at 2:00, hungry, thirsty and tired.  After a late lunch I went to the indoor pool, sat in the hot tub (for my sore leg muscles) and laid out in the partial sun to nap and read.

Walking Maggie after dinner, we checked out the walking path along Lakeview that they blacked topped earlier in the day.  It was a quiet evening at home with Joe off playing poker.  I sat on the porch reading and listening to the rain, happy to not be blogging, shopping or partying.