Forever Weekend Farm

Monday, February 28, 2011

February's Rose Garden

This keeping up with the blog takes time. I have a million stories-non as interesting or exciting as the flotilla's, but I want no one to forget us at FWF. This will be a shortie as it is the last day of February and I want to celebrate something tonight,
( LAST DAY OF FEB)
so I need to hit Walmart after work for provisions.

I planted a rose garden! It is a mini rose garden. When I first met Megs she arrived at the farm with a tiny tea rose bush--a table decoration from Katie's wedding, I believe. I planted it out front with many other small flowers over the last few years and it is the only plant that has not only survived, but flourished in the the full direct sun and heat-other than the palms and cacti. Its flowers have been the subject of many of my watercolors. I decided to give it some company. I now have dotted both mulched slopes along side of the stone steps with the romantic colors of love.
I also decided to seed the front lawn inside the picket fence. After spending the weekend raking out the weeds, softening the soil, scattering the seed and spending hours holding a hose, I awoke Monday morning to check out my hard work and was greeted by a very large Dove Picnic. This weekend I decided to splurge and buy Bermuda/golf course seed and try again. This seed is very expensive, but I was told it is covered in a fertilizer and two coats of a material that holds moisture, so the birds won't even recognize the tiny white specks as seeds.
I was pretty proud of myself--worked hard again, but out smarted those dang dove.
Saturday night was APPY /Oh Hell card game night and Keara, Courtney and I decided to concoct the best appetizers we could drum up while playing cards. We had a great time--Will and Keara spent the night. We had beautiful weather and great fun! Time to add some pictures--more stories later.

I hope this gives you an idea of how beautiful these slopes will look in a couple of months. I have tea roses cascading down the slopes on each side of the steps.

"Dingo does not like the screen porch"
Unfortunately for Dingo, Dad came home first. When I came home, I thought a rabid raccoon decided to break in after the fish food on the porch. But when I walked into the kitchen, I found a guilty Dingo dog cowering on the tile wearing nothing but a necklace of screen (designed and wrapped around her neck by Joe). He had gone on to band practice leaving a note,
"Dingo's a Bad Dog".

I out smarted the birds, but not the ants. Dad pointed out this industrious little colony gathering up my Bermuda seed for later summer feasts.

Dingo--still guilty about her anxiety attack to get back in the porch. Mom removed the necklace.

Will tore a leg ligament playing basketball. He is very good on crutches-never spilled a drop of rum!

This does not do the injury justice--He had just soaked it in ice water-
Propped up on a table it looked as if it needed a toe tag.

I could get some grief on this picture of Lotte'. Yes, we were watching her. No, it was not loaded. This was a rusty BB gun (Dad used it for killing pond snakes but left it the rain too many times- does Dad throw anything away?) Lotte' had no idea what it was-she decided to drag it behind her like an old wagon wheel.

Lotte' playing hide and seek with Keara. If you don't find Lotte' in about 60 seconds, she can't stand the suspense and jumps out declaring, "I found you!"

Getting ready for the appy feast!

Wish you could see all the good choices we had!

Time for Elmo!

Courtney at almost 3 months!

We leave the lights on for you--
Please come home-we miss you!

Rose on the Picket fence

Meghan's rose

Monday, February 7, 2011

Super bowl Weekend

Our weekend started with Dad and I deciding to have Cobia by Candle Light on the new screened porch. We arrived home to a huge heavy box delivered from CA from Jerren and Pat. Inside, all the makings for a romantic getaway for Dad and me. Where? Caribbean Court in Vero Bch which is only a half hour away form us. The box had beach bucket, fishing lure, Dove chocolates, chocolate covered nuts, special coffee and pictures of this beautiful French Country bed and breakfast that we knew nothing about- even has a French chef and the most beautiful grounds full of tropical flowers. Dad and I were very touched so we decided to make a short video thanking Jer & Pat. Well, we went to a lot of work setting up props, giving a tour of the new screen porch, dancing to a CD (they also sent) and smooching to seal the deal,--after 4 attempts to adjust the lighting and get it right - it was too big to send by phone! We had fun anyway!
Saturday we spent the day planting flowers and trimming more frozen palm frondage--Dad headed to his hunting lease to check on some cypress logs for the stairway and an outside bar he wants to build. We got wonderful e-mails from Sue Dunker and Roger telling us of the safe arrival of the flotilla in Cancun. Their nice notes always start out...we know you probably already know, but just wanted to pass the news---the flotilla arrived safely.
Jimmy, Courtney, and Dad and I have a good laugh over that--Hell No-if it wasn't for the other 2 boats families, we would not know if Conor and Megs made it. Gosh, we appreciate that Angie and Ted stay in touch.
And then Low and Behold Saturday am my phone dinged that a message arrived--it was from Megs-yeah!!!! She wrote a nice long note-- So they are with the other two boats and also arrived safely (just kidding Megs and Con-we know you don't want to waste beer money on internet or phone :)

Charlotte at 21 months, talks in full sentences and amazes us with her vocabulary! She can tell you where her new baby brother/sister is growing--"In Mommy's belly!" And depending on how you ask, she wants a brother and a sister. Saturday night, Jimmy, Courtney, and Charlotte came down for Grouper and a card game-called appropriately--Hell NO! Courtney beat us all soundly--maybe because she was not drinking an alcoholic beverage, or maybe she is just very good at the game--(Should I report that Jimmy & Joe took turns coming in last?)Sunday was Super bowl Party at Mundo's. He cooked up quite a feast! It was all homemade authentic Mexican food and so very good! Pictures will tell more--Keara, now 2 months pregnant wanted to play Pat's game for guessing the sex of her baby. Courtney said she wanted to play too!--Which was how she told Keara and Will that she was also pregnant! Keara was so happy to have pregnancy company---So we hid the knife under a chair cushion and had them pick between the two chairs. The old wives tell says Courtney is having a BOY and Keara is having a GIRL!

As you can probably tell-we love the porch screened. The only problem is that for years now the screech owl family has been feeding on the tree frogs that cling to the sliding glass doors at night. In the morning Dad and I sit to have our coffee and dad has to pick out little forehead feathers from the owls banging into the new invisible screen at night. So now Dad has set up an array of flashlights at night to warn them of the new barrier.
So far it is working!

Planting flowers at Koi Pond

Dining area on Porch

Dad thinks he has a good hand-but we all saw it in the reflection of the table

Courtney and Jimbo 2 months pregnant

Courtney and Keara both due the end of September!

Mundo cooks up a pot of beans!

Waiting for the Super Bowl Game to Begin!

Grill Masters

Mundo Chutney Band warming up

Keara cuts up chicken and steaks!

Another view of Dad's screen porch

Dingo guards the driveway

Mama owl is back to nest!

Monday, January 24, 2011

Stork Report

Stork Delivery Service Waiting to Make Baby Deliveries in Ft. Pierce.
Our Storks look a lot like Pelicans.

I am writing to anyone who may be interested in what I have to say about anything, but really I am trying to keep Conor, Megs, Jerren and Pat in the loop and hope they will see how much fun we have and want to come home.

Somebody is going to have a baby--I guess you will have to call me to find out whoooooo. Maybe the pictures I attach will give you a hint. I think you better call me to find out.
Saturday night was Carraba's Take Out by Bon Fire. We ordered Carraba's and the gang sat around the fire playing music. It was very cold-in the 40's. Girls stayed in most of the evening-sat just out enough to enjoy the flames and the music and then back in to eat some more mussels in butter and lemon, nd bread and olive oil. And of course chicken trios!
Who was there? Jimmy, Courtney, Charlotte, Will, Mundo, Clark and Dad. Dad did a back flip off the bench at one point in the evening. Picture him in his rug, pointy hood, full of himself. In his glory cause everyone is playing music and he has his guitar a strumming! He did down quite a few Keystones, but his cronies say it was his sheer excitement in jumping up to join in on one of his favorite songs that sent him reeling backwards over the bench. He continued strumming as he hit the ground with a splat, was proud that he kept his toes as pointed as his hood, and it was noted he never missed a beat!

Mundo, Clark, Jimmy, and Will

Jimmy, Will, and Dad

They played till 2 am

It was a great cold night for a fire!

Miss Charlotte and her mommy before her bath & bed time.

Mama Courtney, Jimmy, Mundo, Will, and Dad
(Charlotte already went to sleep).

Happy Birthday Keara? Why is she smoothing her belly?

Dad and I took a morning walk on the jetty to watch the kite surfers.
We were too far away for pictures of them jumping the waves so I took some of these cuties.

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Hail Hatuey!

For those of you who have seen the movie Julie and Julia you will understand why I say I feel like Julie when she checked her Blog---0 comments! Finally Jimmy gave me a boost and added. I guess my blog may be too boring. I need to get out more! I promise to live a more exciting life and will start today. After work I will take Joe and go fish at the jetty and then head to Archie's for dinner. That should be better than heading home, watching the news and Law and Order reruns.
The sailing flotilla has inspired me to explore and to study a bit of history. My new hero is the Tainos Indian, Hatuey! I will mourn the anniversary of his death 2/12/1512.
My new found energy source-yoga. I finally found a class and an instructor who is explaining the anatomy, and the reasons for the positions and breathing. She is preparing me, a beginner, to improve my strength and flexibility enough to enter a class doing the positions correctly. I am amazed how wonderful it feels when you do the moves right. I love the language, the peace, the heat, the exhaustion, and the new energy. Thank you Linda for coming into my life! More on Yoga coming.

I miss my Conor, Megs, Jerren, Pat and Penny so much, but will continue to hold down the FORT, Fort P. that is. D

Sunday, January 2, 2011

No New New Year's Resolutions-Happy 2011

Happy New Year!

Joe and I really filled the vacation days we had for the Winter Break! We had one of the best times ever and we got to see and catch up with family for two weeks.

I bought Joe a really nice hardly used table saw with all attachments for Christmas. He was very happy, as it will make a lot of his projects easier to finish. He is in the process of screening the side porch which has added more room to spread out when we have guests.

We celebrated Christmas early first with Jerren, Pat, Kim, Sloan, Ashley and Sarah on Monday in Orlando. Jer flew in from CA and wanted us to go to an artsy place called Tu tu Tango and it was a perfect place for all of us to gather and eat fun tapas! The walls are full of art from local artist and several artists are sitting and painting while you eat and watch! We then helped get Jer and Pat to the condo that Melissa and Pat, his parents, had rented outside of Disney. They were all driving from Panama City with Pat's whole family for several days of fun with the seven grandchildren. They thought Jer and Pat had to work so were not expecting them to be sitting in the lobby--what a wonderful reunion to witness! Next celebration was Thursday night with our neighbors/second son and daughter Jimmy, Courtney and baby Charlotte! The highlite of the night was Charlotte asking Uncle Joe to play Jingle Bells on his red guitar. She sang the entire song while he played! (18 months old)

We got up Friday, finished wrapping presents and headed to The Fountains in Orlando to meet all the sisters and family at the resort. I am so lucky to have my sisters! What fun they are--Kim and I sent out a list of a menu and generic items of food each person was to bring. So it was so easy and fun to see what showed up. And of course no disappointments there as we all love to eat and drink! We played really fun family games,had the 5-10 dollar gift auction, celebrated one niece 's graduation from college and then Joe proposed to me all over again and presented me with an engagement ring with the whole family cheering!!

We got home the day after Christmas and slept like logs.. Of course Joe gets up several times to check his fires and report the drop in temperature......trying to protect my tree orchids and some sentimental plants during this record breaking freeze.

New Year's Eve was a quiet bon fire with the Sellers. We even stayed up this year to watch the ball drop and sip champagne. We are now enjoying balmy weather again and have plans to fish at the beach today.

No New Year's Resolutions this year--we want no pressure. Tight pants have become an accepted reality. We were pretty happy eating and drinking our way through 2010 and look forward to doing it again in 2011. Our exercise program this year will be walking the farm, raking, picking up and burning frondage, and reeling in fish!