Lions and Tigers and Bears! Oh My!

Or, I'm back from vacation...

Emptying suitcases. Mounds of laundry.  Grocery shopping to fill up the empty refrigerator AND trying to decide what to make for dinner. Picking up Joe from the {wink, wink} Doggie Spa, where he also received a much needed bath and haircut.

Tom has meetings with clients and contractors all day up through 6:00 tonight. They obviously missed him.

Back to life as we know it. More to come.

AWOL

It's been awhile. But I have a good excuse. I've had a houseful of guests for the last couple of weeks.

First, my favorite niece and her three adorable kiddos stayed with us for a week. What fun!

Then we were fortunate to have our oldest son, Mike, his wife, Kathy, and my two granddaughters, Lily (age 9) and Zoey (age 8) visit for a week. Great times! Sadly, toward the end of their visit a came down with a summer chest cold, which I have not been able to shake since they left last Tuesday.

But we've still been cooking. Hey, we gotta eat!

I'll be back soon. Stay tuned....

Yawn...Just Another Day in Paradise

We are on vacation on Anna Maria Island, Florida. Yesterday we walked around the block to a small cafe where we sat outside on a sunny morning. I enjoyed a leisurely breakfast of two cappuccinos, then we headed for a slow drive over to Longboat Key and back, in the convertible, top down. This morning, Chris loaned us his and Kelly's bikes and we rode over to the same cafe for breakfast of granola, fruit and yogurt with a side of iced coffee.

While my daughter-in-law, Kathy, is posting photos of snow outside of Reno, Nevada, on Facebook, I'm taking photos of glorious flowers and a swimming pool.

I haven't been in the pool yet, but it looks inviting


So does this nice little lounge area poolside


And morning coffee in the little patio nook


But it is the plants that attract my attention. This magnificent Stag Horn Fern hanging from a tree


I don't know the name of this plant, but the color is beautiful


Which color hibiscus do you prefer? This pink one...


Or the white and red one...


I also particularly like the bougainvillaea...


Pick your color. How about orange?


The orchid growing out of the tree trunk fascinates me



Sadly, we check out of Sunrise Garden Resort tomorrow morning and spend the last seven days of our vacation in a 3-bedroom, 2-bath house on the island aptly named Manatee Watch because guests of this particular rental can sit on the dock just beyond the pool area just before dusk and watch the manatees meander through the channel... How freaking cool is that?

Photo Source: Anna Maria Island Accommodations

I know that joy and beauty is relative to those who experience it. It's all a matter of perspective. I like snow, too. But for the last three and the next seven days, the forecast is for predominantly sunshine and temps in the 80's. I'm a happy camper.

Not AWOL,,,Merely On Vacation

I finally had the time and funds to take a trip to visit my sons and their families.

Currently, I am in Bradenton, Florida visiting my youngest son and his family. I'm having a great time!

I'll leave Florida early next week, head home to Arkansas for a few days, then I'll be off to San Francisco, California to visit my oldest son and his family.

Opposite ends of the country. Opposite lifestyles. How lucky can a mom/grandma get?

When I finally return home near the end of the month, Tom and I will be off to Fayetteville, Arkansas where my nephew is getting married over the Memorial Day weekend.

Whew! That's a lot to pack into a month.

See you when I get back!