Monday, February 27, 2012

MY STAYCATION WEEKEND

My weekend included some of this
and some of this

and a little of this

and also of this

This last picture is the net produce bags I am making for grocery shopping.  No need to use the cloth shopping bags and then fill them with plastic bags full of produce.  I decided I also needed reusable bags for the fruits and veggies.  These are the regular size.  I am making some larger ones for the larger amounts of apples or oranges that we buy.  I'm thinking they cost about 60 cents apiece to whip up, and maybe 6 or 7 minutes!  Easy peasy!

Hubby is home, with no fish.  Son and his friend caught walleye, Ernie got a couple of perch.

Friday, February 24, 2012

MY MINI STAYCATION

Someone is gone for 4 days.  Someone went with his son up north to the fish house.  Out in the middle of a big lake.  To live on the ice for 4 days.  Round the clock, live on the ice, for 4 days.  And that someone is not me!  Not in a minute would I live on the ice for 4 days.  How would I shower?  Plug in my phone?  Computer?  Nook?  Nope, I don't think so.

But, that leaves me with a little mini vacation right at home!  No cooking unless I want to cook.  TV if I want, otherwise it's off.  Jammies until noon if I want.  Go to town if I want.  Whoo hoo!

So, yesterday I sewed, I read, and I made a pizza out of one of my freezer stash of gluten free crusts that I make six at a time. And  I did something I have never done before!  I watched American Idol because a local girl was in the top 40 or whatever the cut off was.  However she didn't make the top 24 that will continue on.  And I went to bed without my ear plugs in because someone wasn't snoring!

Now today I am heading into town to buy some scrubby net, I think it's called, to make some veggie bags to take with me to the co-op to put my veggie purchases in.  I have used cloth shopping bags for years, but every single time I shop, I end up with a dozen plastic bags with fruit and veggies in.  No need for those.....I'll make a bunch of net ones.  Save the world from a bunch of plastic bags each week.

And then it's lunch with my daughter at a gluten free friendly spot, Chipotle.  When I get home I will sit at the machine for awhile, then head into town again to pick up my sister to have her out for another pizza! 

What a life!

Thursday, February 23, 2012

A PRAYER WITH THIS MORNING'S SUNRISE

The radient sun shines in the skies,
With joy from sleep we now arise.
All praise to God, who thro' this night
Hath kept us from the devil's might.

Lord Jesus Christ, guide us this day;
Keep sin and shame far from our way.
Thy guardian angels to us send
And let them to our wants attend.

Direct our hearts to do Thy will
And for Thy Word true love instil
That we may do whate'er is right
And ever pleasing in Thy sight.

Crown all our labors with success,
Each one in his own calling bless.
May all we do or think or say
Exalt and praise Thee, Lord, this day!  Amen.

Nikolaus Herman, (1480-1561)  -   #547   The Lutheran Hymnal

Saturday, February 18, 2012

VACATION FACTS AND FIGURES

My husband thinks I'm crazy, because he doesn't care a bit about these kinds of facts and figures.  But I love them!  I always write down things I want to remember, things that are important to me, things I find fascinating.  So here are the figures from our recent trip to Florida.

Going from Minnesota to Florida:
1340 miles
59 MPH average speed
49 MPG

Coming home from Florida to Minnesota:
1442 miles (we took a different route)
61 MPH average speed (more freeway driving)
45.6 MPG

So what does this tell you?  I don't know....maybe that driving faster lowers the MPG?

I have been grocery shopping and restocked the frig and pantry, I have washed clothes, and I have perused the seed catalog that came in the mail while we were gone.  Spring is coming, you know!

This morning we are heading in to a grandson's basketball tournament.  That should be a fun thing to do on a Saturday morning, don't you think?

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

DAY FOURTEEN: HOME

We arrived home about 6:30 pm after almost 11 hours of driving today.  I am pooped!  Get back to you tomorrow. 

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

DAY THIRTEEN: 524 MILES TO GO

We are in Missouri, just across the Arkansas Missouri border.  524 miles from home.  We thought we'd go out for a nice supper, but at six o'clock on Valentine's night, you don't just walk into a nice steak house and plan to get served and out within a decent amount of time.  The places we checked were packed, and had long lines.  We went to a Mexican restaurant, advertised as authentic.  It was pretty good.  I can say that I have never seen staff work as fast as they did in this place.  All male staff, and they were almost running the whole time.  Really busy place, but very fast service.

So, now it's a little TV to relax and then to sleep.  I haven't slept well for several nights, so I'm hoping tonight I will.  Then we have a busy day tomorrow, with 524 more miles.  Then we're home, and staying there!

Monday, February 13, 2012

DAY TWELVE: BILOXI, MISSISSIPPI

We are the Air Force Base in Biloxi, Mississippi.  We arrived early enough to do a little tour of the city.  I had many surprises.  First of all, Biloxi is much smaller than I had envisioned.  And I believe it was much larger before Katrina.  Many folks just left.  But it is a charming little town, and I think it is a Phoenix and that it will rise from the ashes.

First of all, it was a lovely sunrise back in Florida where we started out our day. 
Our travels took us through Mobile, Alabama where we saw this battle ship off to the left of the highway.
We also saw this fancy new bridge off to the right.
At the Mississippi state line we were greeted by this beautiful visitor center.
This is an area inside the visitor center!  Isn't it beautiful?  We were offered a cup of coffee along with our free maps and other information.
We took a tour of the city of Biloxi.  In the old grave yard, this crypt was ruined by Katrina.
A new bridge, thanks to Katrina.
A FEMA shotgun home that the residents were allowed to buy for their permanent home.  Tiny, isn't it?
This home is fixed up to it's pre-Katrina beauty, but they have added a high water sign.
This home has been condemned, but it still standing with the marks still visible on the door.
Biloxi was changed forever by Katrina.  Huge hotels, casinos, and many businesses, in addition to private homes were lost in the storm.  They received the full force of the category 5 storm, winds and all, not just the flooding as other places had.  The people seem strong and determined to rebuild a town that is better than the one that Katrina tried to destroy.

Sunday, February 12, 2012

DAY ELEVEN: WIND CHILL?

The temperature in Panama City, Florida this morning is 29 degrees with a "feels like" of 20.  Yes, folks.  I said Panama City, Florida.  And I said 29 degrees with a "feels like" of 20.  Heading home tomorrow.  Well, to be honest, we were already scheduled to head to Minnesota tomorrow.

Saturday, February 11, 2012

DAY TEN: WINDY

I headed to the beach by myself this afternoon, and I really did have the whole beach to myself.  It was extremely windy, and probably a bit cool for many, but I loved it!
I met one young man on his way back to the parking lot, and a couple came down for maybe ten minutes and then left.  I was alone.
I should have taken video as the waves were making quite a lot of noise as they crashed into the shore.
The sand was blowing just like the snow does back home, but it was much warmer!
Warmer until tomorrow morning.  An Arctic blast is coming and they are talking temps in the 20's for parts of this area.  Might as well go home!  Which we will do on Monday.  We will head north on Monday, probably taking it pretty slow, maybe taking four or so days.

Friday, February 10, 2012

DAY NINE: BIRD POST

Today was a cloudy cool day, but we went ahead with our plans anyway.  We went to Wakulla Springs State Park.  I've been there twice before, and it is really fun, hence the third trip!  It was a two and a half hour drive and we didn't even leave here until after ten, so we didn't arrive until after twelve thirty.  We had lunch in this old lodge/restaurant, a lovely bowl of bean soup.  Nummy!
The lodge and the furnishings tell of a day gone by when vacation lodges were a bit more elegant, where ladies and gentlemen dined and relaxed and visited in fancy surroundings. 
The furniture is beautiful, if a bit uncomfortable looking!
The fire had died down to just coals, so it wasn't as inviting as it would have been had a nice warming fire been burning in the fireplace.
I especially liked the painted ceiling.
We saw a lot of birds on our ride down the Wakulla River, including this great blue heron.  He is beautiful!


We saw our national bird, the bald eagle.  Love eagles!




Some turtles were trying to find some sun to warm themselves, and the fellow below was just hanging around in the swampy area long the river.
Several movies were filmed in this area, including this one and some Tarzan movies with Johnny Weissmuller swinging through the jungle on the vines that hang from every tree.

Thursday, February 09, 2012

DAY EIGHT: SHELL ISLAND

Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale, a tale of a fateful trip.............

We rented a pontoon from Rec Services here on base, and Ernie, me, cousin Karen, Karen's husband Dave  and Ben, Dave's nephew , took off on a 4 hour tour.  Actually 4 1/2 hour tour.  And it was a great trip, not a fateful trip!

We had supervision as we loaded the boat.
It may have looked like a nice warm day........
but it was a bit nippy!  Notice hubby's  Minnesota fleece jacket, and Karen's hood?   She also had gloves on!
But once we got to Shell Island, and crossed over to the gulf side, it was lovely.  Very nice and warm, 
 perfect shell hunting weather!
 Another very nice boardwalk from one side of the island to the other.
 Have you ever seen such clean water?
 Or such white sand?
 I love that about it, the clean, pure, white look.
 Cousin Karen and her hubby, Dave.  They are very special people.
 Would you like to live this close to the water?  It is pretty.  And think of the gorgeous sunsets!  Except for days like today when the sun wasn't around at sunset time.

Can't wait to see what tomorrow brings.

Wednesday, February 08, 2012

DAY SEVEN: APALACHICOLA & ST. GEORGE ISLAND

This morning dawned bright, sunny, and beautiful.  We headed down to Apalachicola.  Our first stop was to look at the shrimp boats in the harbor. 
I liked this little fish cleaning house with the ferns growing on the roof!



This guy is harvesting oysters.  Do you say "fishing" for oysters?  No, you fish for fish.  Do you say "oystering?"  I have no clue.  I will just say he is harvesting oysters.


We took the nice long really scary bridges across the intercoastal waterway, over to St. George Island State Park.  


Right as we entered the park we saw this little guy through the grasses.  He's kind of cool, don't you think?
 At our first stop in the park, there wasn't a person in sight along the beach.
 We did see two empty chairs.....
 a starfish......
 and a sand dollar.
 Aren't these the cutest little condos you've ever seen?  I think they look like bird houses!
 We arrived back at the base in time to pick up a few groceries and sit out on our porch area in the Air Force blue rocking chairs lining the outside wall.  And in time for another pretty sunset, this time with no visible sun.
 I fixed the green beans, and Ernie grilled the steak. 
 Another fine day in Florida!