Forever Weekend Farm: July 2011

July 4th weekend we had a wonderful time with Suzi and Clif. They made the three hour ride from Brooksville and arrived donned in patriotic red, white and blue!!! We ate great food, played great music, and had a long game of SPADES!! We shared tales of house and farm projects, and all in all we just relaxed.

Tadpole continues to entertain us with puppy antics--he is a whopping 5 lbs 5 oz now and the light bulb has gone off in his head that outside is a good place to tinkle and poo. He has a travel bag that looks like a large purse and as soon as he sees me get my keys he jumps in. He likes to go, and is good and quiet during store errands--no one knows he is with me. He doesn't go everywhere with me, but he is easy to transport to the vet and the beach. Dingo continues to like him and she is the best teacher. If she drinks, Tad drinks, if Dingo eats a piece of grass, Tad eats grass--he is a real copy cat. Luckily, Dingo is good.

I have had some good days off from work which has allowed me to be productive with my watercolors. I have agreed to paint nine- 5 x 7 originals for a local art organization, Art Mundo Thirty-six local artists have also agreed to submit 9 pieces of flat, 5 x 7 art pieces and all the art is compiled into calendars which are raffled off as a fund raiser. So I am busy! Let me know if you might want to purchase a raffle ticket.

I am also researching on craig's list to buy an older travel trailer to convert into an art studio/guest cottage. I have found the perfect one, but I am presently negotiating a price --I am not good at this so my anxiety levels at night have me staring at the bedroom ceiling as I review in my head the options over and over--jeez, I wear myself out mentally.
Today I am leaving to meet my sisters in Orlando for a little SISTER R & R at Kim's condo for the weekend.
It works out that my cousin Bobby, from NJ will be in Orlando with his family for his son's baseball game and a Disney vacation. We will get together tonight for dinner-we have not seen each other for, gosh ten or fifteen years. As kids, my sisters and I were very close with cousins Bobby, Sharon and Nancy. Growing up in NJ we vacationed at the Jersey shore and took family trips to Florida. We celebrated every holiday together with picnics and parties. And then my family moved to FL.
Somehow the memories we made as kids has held us together into adulthood and even though we don't see each other often, when we talk on the phone or meet up it is as if we never moved!

Conor and Megs and the Gualby are making their way to Panama. They had to sail through some extremely unexpected rough weather off the coast of Honduras. I lost several nights of sleep and all my finger nails waiting to hear from them. They are now safe on a little island with very poor internet service with the other sail boat-The Salty Dog. I am very proud of them, but it was a gut wrenching week for Joe and me. No mother wants to hear of her kids being harnessed to the boat battling 10 + foot waves for many nights. Conor has let Joe know that as soon as they can, they will call us with some awesome stories! I no longer have to put highlights in my hair.

Jerren and Pat are in Fort Walton with plans to move to Ft Pierce in August. They had two assignments at the hospital there and as usual have enjoyed all the sites and sounds of that city. I am hoping to have a cottage in the backyard for them to stay in until they buy a home!

Some JULY photos