11-30-16  back to our old stomping grounds in South Florida!

Yea!  A few days in South Florida before heading off on our cruise.  It was so nice going to our  favorite places again!  Since it was Wednesday---it was Pasquale's pizza day!  Which also meant Zepolli's for dessert, or appetizers as in our case.  When we lived here, we always ended up with lots more the the 2 we'd ordered.  I guess they've forgotten us, we only got 2 this time.  But they were as good as I remembered!

 as was the bacon and pepperoni pizza.  The special on Wed. gets you a large for the price of a medium.  Did seem odd, though, eating then not going across the street to our apartment!

11-27-16  back to Atlanta -- time to pack!

Back on the road again.  At least it's "only" a 4 hour ride.  It was a beautiful day for a ride.  We even spent some of it on back country roads.  I love being able to check traffic on our smart phone and finding detours around traffic areas. 

This time there were major tie ups around Cleveland, Tennessee, so we were able to take a parallel route through the country. 

11-26-16  a ride into the Smokey's---

Tim giving a little concert before we head off for breakfast.

 Clawdine enjoying the new pet bed.  Apparently Jesse pulled her around on it while we were out.  At least he didn't chew up this bed like he did his last one the first time they left him alone with it.

11-24-16 Thanksgiving at Tim and Faith's in Knoxville:

After celebrating with The Hicks the day before, we were able to get up bright and early and head off to Knoxville for another celebration.  It was a beautiful day for our 4 hour drive.  Made it there in plenty of time to watch the preparations going on.   Another fantastic dinner was about to be devoured!

Don't know what was going on with my  camera!  All my inside photos with the food and guests were way overexposed!  Maybe time for a new camera?!  But I did manage to get some good ones of Tim and Faith in their back yard.  LOVE their back yard!!

The subject matter isn't to shabby either!

11-23-16 Thanksgiving a day early with the Hicks:

Since one of the out of town Hicks were going to be heading back to St. Louis on Thanksgiving, they decided to do Thanksgiving a night early (after Josh and Andrew got off work).  Worked out well---I was able to cook the turkey and dressing in the daytime instead of over night and Angie and Carol were able to whip everything else up before evening.  Plus, Ken and I were able to plan on heading to Knoxville the next day for another Thanksgiving!  What can be better then Thanksgiving with family then a 2nd Thanksgiving with more family!?

I love how the "girls" do it up for special meals---fancy place settings, menu cards, decorations, ... .

 Lots of great appetizers like these baked olive puffs.

11-17-16-Enjoying fall colors in my little neighborhood!

Still trying to get 10000 steps in a day---not that I'm very successful, but I have been enjoying seeing the colorful leaves on the trees in our neighborhood!  I love that there are so many different kinds of trees here --- each with their own fall colors and unique leaf designs!  I'm also amazed that it's near the end of Nov. and the trees are still so full!  Especially since it's been a warm and very dry fall. 

Love having the preserve right out our back patio.

11-12-16  Slotin Folk Art auction:

 "The Strange, The Unusual, The Vanishing America!  1,121 Lots of the BEST in Self-Taught Art, Outsider Art, Southern Folk Pottery, European Art Brut, African American Quilts and Decorative Arts, International Art, Antique & Anonymous Works, Religious Banners, Circus Items, Native American, WPA-era Paintings and New Discoveries."

Angie and Josh are huge Folk Art fans!  They have been collecting it for over 10 years now and have quite the collection---paintings, woodworkings, metal pieces, --- you name it, they're collecting it.  So when an auction like Slotin's is happening, you can bet they're going to be there!  They've even attended it via internet when they didn't live close enough to go to it.  But now they're back here near Buford and can easily attend.  Ken and I decided to go and check it out with them.  It was quite the impressive auction!!!  As Josh said---there are probably more Folk Art pieces here at the auction then in any museum.  Can't say that Ken and I are nearly as enthusiastic about Folk Art as they are, but it is fascinating to be around those who are so enthusiastic.  Plus Slotin treats their audience with lots of great free food and drink!  For lunch they had Jim 'n Nick's bar b q, and for dinner they brought in Mellow Mushroom pizza.  Yummmmmm!!!!!!
 There was also a snack table with lots of desserts and such.  Behind it is a Lifetime collection of Herbert Albin Wood Mosaic Furniture---14 hand made pieces which sold for a mere $850!  Estimated value $2000-$4000. 

 some of the many pieces of Folk Art.

11-10-16  forest fires!!!

Gotta show off my flowers some more!  All the lillies were closed originally and I've been able to watch them gradually open day by day.  It's like having a different arrangement everyday!

 Trying to get back out and get my "steps" in, but it's been really smokey here!  Northern Georgia (and 5 other states around here) are on fire!  Worst draught Atlanta has had in ages --- no rain for about 2 months now.  We decided to take a ride out to the lake and see what it's looking like there.  This was taken along our way.  This also shows one of Ken's pet peves!  He's always expressing annoyance about there being 2 turn lights up for 1 turn lane.  Gotta admit, I don't recall seeing that before and there are a lot of them here, but I can't say it really bothers me that much.

11-9-16  back to Buford, Ga.

On the road again--------heading back to our apartment in Ga.  Tired of the 10 hour drives back and forth to St. Louis, but at least we didn't have to do it from South Florida last year.
Good Bye St. Louis---until next time

11-8-16  Election Day!!!!

We figured since we were here so close to election day that we would stay and vote since Missouri is still our official state of residency.  This has been a LOOOOONNNNG election campaign!!!  Started while we were still in Florida.  I know campaigning is always full of lies and promises and jabs at one another, but this one was especially bad!  Surprisingly, Donald Trump beat out his competition for the Republican party (something like 12 candidates) and went on to compete against Hillary Clinton (first woman candidate for presidency).  She only had to beat out 1 other candidate.  The media was vicious!  I never realized how Democratic the media really is until this campaign!  They trashed Trump every chance they could and made Clinton out like she was an angel.  Can't say I was thrilled with either candidate, but voting is an obligation and privilege.  Hillary was suppose to win by a landslide---at least if you listened to the media.  But when it was all done and counted----Trump won!  He actually didn't get the populace vote, but did get over 290 electoral votes.  I had hoped that would be the end of all the stress of the election season----but no!!!!  The millennials are having a total breakdown!  They're skipping class and protesting, making tests and classes in schools be cancelled, needing therapy---even therapy animals!!!  It's totally ridiculous!  What are they going to do when they really have something to stress out about???!!!!  Too much spoiling the younger generation now!  No more trophies for winners---that's not fair.  No more grades---that's not fair.  No correcting papers in red ink---you're yelling at them!  No discipline---you'll be arrested for child abuse.  And these are our future leaders!?  Life is not fair!!!!  Get use to it!!!!  I'm thankful my kids have a backbone!
Anyway---we fought the crowds and the rain and did our duty here----

I happen to agree with a lot of what Trump represents---like exporting criminal illegal immigrants, vetting refugees a lot more, changing Obamacare, bringing business back to the USA by taxing other countries, and building up our military again.  Hopefully he'll be able to complete the tasks he campaigned on.  And hopefully the media will start reporting accurate news and quit twisting everyone's words around---yeah, right!

11-5-16  Sunset near Alton, Illinois:

I don't know why, but St. Louis does seem to get more then the average beautiful sunsets!  I forget where it was now, but not too long ago I overheard a young lady telling her date that she never watched a full sunset before.  I can't help thinking of that whenever I'm watching one now!  What can you be doing that's so important that you've never taken the time to watch a sunset???!!!
Anyway----I guess this is another reason why we don't mind the ride to Alton for dinner.  If we time it right, we're often treated to a gorgeous sunset to or from dinner. 
This is actually  the Mississippi River from the Missouri side of the bridge going over to Alton.

10-31-16  A really scary Halloween!!!!

 The day was finally upon us!  Can't say I was looking forward to Halloween this year!  Not with a cardiac ablation on the to-do list!

Originally we were told to be at the Mercy Heart Hospital at 5:30am, but about a week ago I got a call to be there at 6am.  So we went out and bought an alarm clock the night before the procedure! ( We had taken our alarm clock to Georgia)

 We made it there on time.  Checked in and waited here for someone to come take us elsewhere.  Then waited about 3 more hours!  Josh's folks even came to stay with Ken while I was in surgery, but they even got to visit with me.  The nurses told them my surgery was changed to an hour or so later---too bad they didn't tell me that!

Eventually 2 guys came in and said they were the anesthesiologists and would be putting an iv in my arm.  Then one of them left and the younger one started probing away---again, and again and again, and .... .   I'm sure he stuck me at least 15 times over 45 minutes.  He also used 3 shots of numbing agent.  He did manage to get one in, so we thought.  Then started poking away again for an artery.   But it wasn't until the other guy came back and took over that it was done correctly.  He even used an ultrasound machine to get it right. Finally, 2nd one in and ready to go.