New Windows - Cold Weather with SNOW?

 Shalimar, FL  (Lo  15  Hi  45)   This was basically all week

This was a wild week!!  It was predicted to be a very cold snowy week and it sure turned out that way. Florida made history!!!  

The new windows were put in on Monday. It was 22 degrees and they took out the bedroom and kitchen windows. It got cold in the apartment really fast. I turned off the furnace and I went to the lounge to keep warm. I worked on a puzzle and at 11:00 went to Wii bowling. The winter season has started. My first game was 199, that's the way to do it. It was cold in the building that has all the activities. It's an old heat pump system so didn't keep with the temperature.  (I learned later it wasn't even on)

 (Click on the photos to enlarge).             Patio doors before they started

                                            After they were put in. 

                            It brightens the whole apartment, and easier to open. I love them. 

Tuesday everything was cancelled. Snow was on the way. Schools closed, almost everyone in the office was off work and all activities were cancelled. The snow kept coming once it started. It was snowing by noon with a start of freezing rain. It snowed all night, the end result was 7 inches. We have no snowplows, the roads were very slick and I-10 was closed through most of the southern route. 

                                                That's blowing snow, not fog

                                            My gnomes were getting all covered up. 

                                                An orange tree covered in snow

                                           It was pretty, but very cold on Wednesday morning

                                                My car with ice under it.

                                            A drone shot from a stormchaser in Niceville, Fl exit to I-10.

                                           No one was moving, and a couple jackknifed trucks

                This was sent from our son, the warning was our area with the highest temperatures.

Wednesday was a nothing day. I caught up on some ukulele playing and writing out some finger style music for a song I want to learn finger picking not strumming. Also worked on puzzles in the lounge, making hellofresh meals, and playing games on computer. I can't do that every day, but it was nice to not go or do anything else. I still had my patio door to put in on Wednesday but no workers, no traffic on the roads all that changed on Thursday when  the guys were back to work and I had to be up early for them to put in the patio door. I went back to the lounge to stay warm, and at 1:00 I went to a brain seminar. She talked about how to keep the mind active. I played cards that evening and had some social time. 

Friday was fun day. I had sip and paint in the afternoon followed by ukulele class and got home just in time for the NC zoom.  This photo was this morning, (Tuesday was the storm and it's Friday).

                                    

                                  Sip and paint is always so fun. People do their own versions. There was a big group this time. 

                                                            This is mine

                                                          And a couple of others

I love all the youtube and facebook videos with the snow. Found one with an airboat in the snow in Louisiana. It's a hoot!  My neighbor made a cute snowman. It's perfect. 

                                     I'll see what I get into for next week, but hopefully there's no more snow.  

California Fires Continuing - Changes

 Shalimar, FL (Hi 70  Lo 47)  Humid and warm with freezing weather coming big changes

The fires in California are still going on. I hope they're out soon with the cold front coming in this week with possibility of rain for them.  

I did some changes in my routine or activities. I'm changing it up a bit. I'm not one to stay with the same things very long unless I really love it when I can make changes, which is crocheting and hand and foot card game along with 31 cards that we play nightly. I don't intend to make any changes. 

I dropped shuffleboard on Friday's to go to ukulele classes, at least for the time being. I've been to three classes and know three songs. I just have to get faster.  We did a session last Sunday on the ukulele then again on Friday. We're meeting twice a week if possible. 

Monday I went to the Emerald Coast music program. They were here last year. I love that group they're, amazing. They play at Carnegie Hall and are big time musicians. I haven't heard of a bassoon player but this gal was fantastic. (Click on the photos to enlarge). 

All these players make the instruments sing. They are fast and accurate. 

I've never seen a piano player play as fast as this guy. 

This is all students

Tuesday I had diamond art, then meditation discussing our topics for the year. I worked on a puzzle with Del awhile in the afternoon. We have a puzzle that was given to Del for Christmas from one of the gals. I'll take a picture when it's done, beach with palm trees with bunches of umbrellas. It's 1000 piece. I went back to play cards after dinner.  I also worked with a gals new phone Tracfone which wouldn't connect from the old phone to the new one. We've had trouble with Tracfone before, but she's trying to get away from expensive calls overseas to her family since they don't have whatsapp she wanted a cheaper way of calling without using the main stream calls that cost a lot. We never did get it connected, she sent back the phone. 

Wednesday  is hand and foot day, and this week was the residential meeting so I only played one game. There's not a whole lot going on, but still info to pass to the village on meeting day in February. 

Thursday was crochet get together. I wish I knew I needed help with a pattern while there but I didn't realize I was having trouble with the day of the dead doll pattern. The pattern is in another language and I can't figure out which one. It's the first time I'm very challenged on what to do, so next week I'll ask if anyone can tell me. She's so cute, but a lot bigger then I normally do and pattern isn't easy to follow. Work in progress.

While I'm on the crochet, this is what I did get done this week for an order. Still have 19 to go. I crochet from 8pm to at least 1am most nights. 

Pictures of the real dogs along with the made ones

Now it's Saturday morning and I have Hellofresh meals to make, and get to another gal. I also have to move a few things to prepare for my new windows and back door on Monday. Another busy day. 7

New Temperatures - Bowling Party - California Fires

 Shalimar, FL  (Hi 50   Lo 37)

The week started out weather wise with tornadoes, then cold and hard frost back to warm and windy now more storms and more frost. It's been interesting to say the least. It's snowing in the south more then usual, changes are going on, no doubt. I guess I get weather watching from my grandpa, it's something you can't do anything about which is nice. It's time to remember some things are not controllable. 

All over the community you see "little people". It's a good thing to keep blankets on hand for plants. (Click on photos to enlarge).

On with the week. Everyday from the first I've had a problem with something. First it was banking, they won't let any bills go thru and keep cancelling payments. I've made two calls and now watching to see if they quit doing that. Just trying to get a real person takes awhile. The next problem is the excel sheet for the new year. I finished off December but when I went to do January, all of the totals weren't there and I had to re-create December again. I have no idea what happened, but that took several hours. I'm glad I don't work in an office anymore, I keep doing crazy stuff and the memory is starting to freak me out in not realizing what I'm doing. Welcome to old age. 

Monday was nothing to do at least for now, bowling starts in two weeks. I worked on crochet projects and got another order done. 

Tuesday was diamond art and meditation. We did a survey on what we want to learn in 2025. There's lot's to learn and talk about. I went to cards in the evening and then a zoom class. Sometimes classes end up not being worth the money you pay, but still learn a little. 

Wednesday I had to get my meds and the doctor office said it was sent in December, the express scripts said they didn't have it. So round and round we go. I finally got them to give me the prescription, I think it's good. I played cards the rest of the day. Our bowling party was in early evening and they passed out certificates for highest team bowling and people that got 300's. There was one guy that got 900 series. I'd be happy with one 300 score. 

Thursday was the activities meeting and we have a busy month plus a lot in February.  I didn't go to crochet group today, I had a massage. It's been cold so the neck doesn't move and knees don't either. Between the massage and the chiropractor I'm moving better, at least for a couple weeks. I played cards in the evening. 

Friday it was pouring rain all day. I had nothing on the calendar except to help a gal with her new phone. They're making it easier to get a new phone loaded with info from old phone. It was done by the charging cable, except hers was the wrong cable so I used mine. It still took a couple hours to get it done, and now she has to wait maybe two working days to get it working right. At least they keep the old phone working till it updates to the new one. I worked on several things in the afternoon. The class for the ukulele is Sunday, so I did some more working on that. I worked on the NY puzzle  and of course working on crochet orders, still have 19 to go and then get ready for craft fair in August. I had the NC zoom in the evening and talked about snow this far south. It seems everyone has doctor appointments at least once a week. Again it's an age thing. 

The last few days I've been watching the news on the fires out in California. It's been horrible and I know a few gals out there in the area. I'm staying in contact with them daily. So far they've been ok.

To top off the week, does everyone or anyone talk to themselves  OUT LOUD to remind themselves of a task to do or  talk as if someone is listening?  I think I'm really losing it. That's totally a new thing lately. 

Happy New Year 2025 - Party TIme in Village One

 Shalimar, FL   (Hi 59   Lo 49)

I was going to do a recap for 2024, but decided that was in the past and I'm done with the "past," so I'll continue on with last week activities and continue on to 2025. 

Grandson Kyle and his wife Holly had birthdays at the beginning of the week. Holly should be having the great grandbaby sometime soon. That will be another post. 

Monday was basically the same as any other Monday. We had a class on what's next, but the gal that was supposed to do it, didn't show up. I was prepared to talk to the gal so Debbie and I lead a small get together on the topic.  I'm hoping in the next couple months I can do the class, it's basically what's next after you lose a spouse. It's also a question and answer time plus having everything in place for when we pass. I've been taking classes for a year on the subject. 

Tuesday was diamond art, only a few of us there, but well worth getting together for new year's day. Rosie, Kathy and I went to the Moose. They go a lot more often and have several people they talk too. I was the designated driver so I only had one drink. The guy that bombed the photo is Shawn. He's quite a character. It's like a family when you go there. (Click on the photo's to enlarge).

We got back to the village in plenty of time to get ready for New Year's eve party. It started at 6:30 and by the end of the night (11:00) there were 30 of us. Food and drinks and no one drunk this year. I remember last year we took a couple gals home in a chair (with rollers for easy movement). 

We also had two birthdays, Patti and Margie. They each had a cake, white and chocolate so we had plenty of celebration along with celebrating New Year's eve. 

We celebrated with Puerto Rico at 10pm then NY at 11:00 and those that still stayed at midnight, we celebrated with Nashville for central time. 

                                            I took the picture from the TV in NY.

                                                They drop a note in Nashville.

It was so great to get together. We had left overs for lunch on Wednesday. There were six of us that came and stayed a couple hours. I had a zoom meeting when I got home then crocheted and played cards, I had the nightly zoom to finish off the night. 

Thursday I went to crochet group for an hour then zoom class in the afternoon. I crocheted till time for cards in the evening. I got a few things done. I'm moving right along on orders. 

Booties for great grandbaby already in the mail. 

Football gnome Kansas City for a gal, and it's been delivered. 

This is the picture for a dog

And the results. 

I still have 22 orders to do, so I'm not going to be bored. Some changes will be made for this year. I'm dropping a couple things and adding a couple activities. I'm still playing guitar and ukulele getting some lessons in person from people here and online. The fingers are doing better, but still need a lot of work. One doesn't bend like it's supposed to so that causes "clink sound". 

I forgot to post the St. Louis puzzle when I finished it. It took seven hours. Now I'm working on NY coast line that looks similar. 

I wish everyone a happy New Year, may you be well and happy.