Art for Art's Sake

You Dirty Dogs! Arrrgh!

The Grass is as High as an Elephant's Eye

It's not often we allow our grass to grow to this state. Even Mr. Contractor mentioned the height of the lawn. We think he doesn't want it to distract from the beauty of the addition. Not to worry - we mowed Saturday and it looks pretty good right now.

Went to a fun party yesterday - there was food, live music and nice people. Sort of restores your faith in humanity. A nice way to spend a Saturday evening. Thanks Terry and Tom - we had a really nice time!

All dogs were bathed today! The cleanliness won't last long, especially since the backyard is a sand pit and likely to stay that way until the remodel is finished and we can throw some $$$ at it.

Another Basketball Season Complete

It's hard to believe that the college basketball season is officially over. We attended the UF Women's Basketball End Of Year Banquet yesterday evening. As usual, it was very enjoyable. Coach Butler and her staff handed out awards to the players and we said a final goodbye to the fabulous five seniors.

I'm optimistic about next year. The undersclassmen seem to have a close relationship. Together they said their goodbyes to the seniors in a very special way. I really like how this group works together. And I think there's going to be some good team leadership next year.

Here's to the UF women's basketball team! Go Gators!

Here Comes the Sun...

Like many, we attended the Spring Arts Festival on Saturday. We timed it so we arrived just as the Orange and Blue game was starting. Worked great - never felt claustrophobic.

The art was nice - we tended to gravitate towards art that made us smile or laugh. We considered purchasing a couple of pieces but then decided to wait until the remodel was complete.


As we headed home we walked through the Thomas Center gardens and encountered some live music. We sat for a few minutes and listened to some "jazz" (some tunes were, some weren't). We then strolled over to the kids area and saw some really neat art created by some talented young people. We were impressed. The art exhibitor for the children indicated that the kids - even as young as 6 - priced their own work. That explained the $500 price tag on one of the pieces.


We also noticed that the bas-relief and sculptures had been recently painted - and beautifully I might add. The turtle above is one example.


In the evening, we took Boxer for a walk and were surprised to still hear music coming from the Thomas Center. We headed that way and sat for a few minutes listening to a fantastic band - GruvTherapy.

What a great day!

An aside: Why the title "Here Comes the Sun"? In high school a group of us had to film a movie for our humanities class. We decided to film the Spring Arts Festival and set the theme music to "Here Comes the Sun". So, whenever I hear that song, I think of the festival...and vice versa. In fact, I'm humming it right now.

Ciao baby!

Azaleas are Beautiful!

Happy Spring!

Hard Work and Its Rewards

It's that time of year when we bring out the mower and other yard tools. It was very warm this weekend and perfect for working in the yard. We cleaned it up and got back that curb appeal we love so dear. And when you work hard the rewards are great.

After sprucing the yard, I mixed up some gourmet hamburgers and sauteed some onions and mushrooms.


Mir concocted her delicious strawberry colada and grilled the burgers. What a gastronomical delight!


Rock on!

It's Great To Be .... A Middle Sister!

I recently had a birthday and my younger sister sent me this birthday gift! It's so cool because I am a middle sister! I love it! And you know what? I am so cool!


Thanks, Julie Poolie!

Is there Room at the Inn?

We're on an exploratory mission to find a suitable kennel for our dogs should we decide we need to get away. So, we visited the "Bed and Biscuit" this past weekend. The visit was positive - there's lots of space for them to run and play and we liked the owner, Mila. She seemed to know the dogs very well and care about their well being. But it is still a kennel - and none of our dogs have ever stayed at one. We're going to ask around and see if we can connect with anyone who has used it. Readers?

Spring Flowers and a Garage Sale

The weather cooperated this past weekend and we had our last ever garage sale. That's right - we have vowed to never do another sale. My neice, Miss B, handled the jewelry post and the money. She did a great job and, should she decide to study business, will be very successful.

The roses were blooming across the street and I had to take just one picture and post it for all my readers to see. Happy Spring! Finally!

Let's Go Mets!

Anyone who knows Mir knows that she and her family are big fans of the Mets. This spring her father and nephew went to a Mets spring training game. In the picture above, you might recognize two of the three faces - her nephew on the left and her father on the right. But can you guess the gentleman in the middle? He is Omar Minaya. Who dat? you say. He is none other than the General Manager of the New York Metropolitans (aka The Bad News Mets).

For the record, the Mets won this particular spring training game in a dramatic 9th inning come from behind victory.

Let's Go Mets!

Deux Canards in le Duckpond

We took Peanut on a walk this morning and as we neared the duckpond...what should we see? Two ducks. It's so cool living in our neighborhood.

She's Come A Long Way, Baby

To the casual observer this picture seems like much ado about nothing. But if you know Sydney's history, to see her this relaxed speaks volumes of how far along she's come. She's taken to crawling into our laps - which is no easy feat - she's long and sinewy. Yet, she has a way of curling up and making herself small.

The comfort and trust she has in us makes us think that it's all been well worth it.

Playing Around

Boxer and Sydney playing around construction debris in back yard.

Gators Off to SEC Tourney

Yes, this is a picture of Amanda Butler's locker in the Coaches' locker room. Mary Wise's was across the way. Hey, these are the perks of an honorary coach.

We saw the team off today at the airport. It was a cold and windy afternoon. Coach Butler high-fived me as she headed to the plane. The mantra for us fans was "Go, Fight, Win!". Anyway, it was fun. Go Gators!

Coach Butler is Awesome!

Well, Gator fans we didn't get it done today. But it sure was fun being an honorary coach. Our host, Lani, was fantastic. And who would have known the other honorary coach was none other than a friend of my parents!

A perk of being an honorary coach is that you get to be in the locker room when Coach Butler gives her pre-game talk. She was so intense that I wanted to suit up right then and there and go play! Just awesome.

Now, we wait to see where Florida will be seeded for the SEC tourney. It's been a tough year - not quite what we had expected but we're hoping we'll make a push in the tournament and play a few more games. At this point, the only way we make it to the big dance is to win the tourney. So, let's go Gators!

Yep, Just call me Coach Lisa

Good Morning Coach Lisa,

Just a reminder that this Sunday Feb. 28 Tip off is 3:00pm. Gators play Alabama.

We are looking forward to having you as our guest. You and your guest should be at the Will Call door Gate 1 by 2:10 at the very latest. We will attend Coach Butler's pre-game talk and at half time Pizza and soft drinks will be served. Please let me know if you have any questions.

Thank you,
Lani

Lani McQuade
Executive Assist
Women's Basketball
Univ. Athletic Assoc.

Spring Coming Soon

It's been a long cold winter. I had to take a picture of Mir's Camelias in bloom. Stay warm everybody.

No Excuses...Just Do It!

While most you were probably home, still in your warm bed or having breakfast drinking a steaming cup of coffee, Mir, Norma and I were freezing our butts off waiting for the start of our first 5k. Yes, OUR FIRST 5K!

The goal was simple - to finish standing up. And we did. My official time was 36min 23sec - I will now call this my personal best (PB). I came close to bonking...I started off well but somewhere around the 2 mile mark I began to fade. Then I heard a voice say "on your left"...it was Mir running with Dr. Amy. I fell in step with their steady cadence and finished strong. What did I take away from this run? Not bad for a forty-something year old...not bad at all...


Oh yeah, a huge perk from running a 5K - you can go out for breakfast, then go home, lie in your recliner with your dog on your lap, take a nap...and not feel guilty. Life is good!

AARP Membership Application

I received a membership application from AARP in today's mail. I guess they're trying to get us while we're young. I was curious because I am not age 50 nor will I be 50 within a year. So, I went online and found that if you're younger than 50 and support the ideals of AARP you can become an associate member and then become a full member when you turn 50.

Training for the 5k is, well, non-existent. But that's okay. We're going to still run it and do our best.

Tomorrow the UF Women's Basketball team plays LSU at the O'Connell Center at 7pm. Be there or be square.

Aloha.