It has been beautiful today in Florida with a slight breeze that invites the palm trees to gently sway as if in a dance.  I have been a bit low on energy today, but nevertheless I forced myself to clean out the kitchen cupboards and pantry and boxed some unused items (candles, potpurri, assorted flashlights, etc) that had somehow found their way into a shelf in the pantry.  I carried the boxes out to the garage and patted myself on the back that I had managed to do so.  Tomorrow I begin tackling the spare guest room closet and carrying out most of the stuff that I have stored in it to the garage. 

I rented the garage a couple of weeks ago.  Garages rarely come available in the condominium where I live, and finding a garage that is literally outside of my condo was something I could not pass up.  The garage rental is $125 a month, and I chose to add it into my budget by eliminating a few budget items that I have now...example, I have opted to go to the Nutrisystem Flex program which is about half of what Jenny Craig was costing me monthly, thereby allowing me to have the garage.  Actually, I have been quite pleased with Nutrisystem, taste of the food is great, and I have managed without difficulty to stay on Nutrisystem without a problem.  I think I needed the change, so there ya go.

 

I am also wanting to buy a bicycle.  It has only been approximately 44 years since I last rode a bicycle, but the wonderful weather in Florida beckons me to try it.  So I am going to explore a few bicycle shops in the surrounding areas where I live and see what they recommend...and also see if I can ride without killing myself (laugh).  Nevertheless, I must try, and try I shall.  I will let you know in the following days and weeks whether I accomplish this desire to ride a bike.  I just know it would be wonderful exercise, and this motivates my need to explore the possiblity of purchasing a bicycle.

 

I am looking so forward to Dan, Brenda and my grandson Parker visiting me the end of March for a week.  I am thrilled.  I am also excited because Josh, my grandson who was in Iraq, is now home at his Army base with Megan and my great-grandson Dakoda.  They are also planning on visiting for a long weekend while Dan and family are here.  I cannot wait!

 

Prayerfully the cats Cleo and Mocha will be social.  Actually I am quite pleased with them.  They are now playing with one another and no longer fighting...ahhhh I do not miss the occasional cat fight in the dead of night, awakening me from a sound sleep to howls and growls and hisses in the dark.  Now both cats have defined their territory on my bed and both sleep through the night with me.  It is so nice.  Mocha is a lap-cat, sitting and purring contentedly on me and allowing me to pet her for long periods of time.  This is so different from Cleo who chooses to sleep against me but does not like me petting her.  Amazing how these little creatures have such different personalities, but they definitely do.

 

I sat for a period of time with the cats on my lanai today soaking up the late winter's sunshine in Florida.  I sipped my morning coffee and listened to the gentle lapping of the water in the little lake outside of my lanai.  It has been a relaxing day.

 

It seems strange that I now have my week uninterupted by driving to pick up the grandkids from school and running them to their after-school projects.  Lisa and Don are all moved into their new home which is absolutely beautiful beyond imagination.   Lisa has hired Micah's old girlfriend Alexandra to pick up Alec and Katie from school and babysit them.  I feel a bit strange about this to be honest.  Although I sometimes felt overwhelmed by all the driving, and waiting for periods of time at their school in the pickup lane or waiting for an hour at a time at their afterschool activities, and often I yearned for my time to be mine once again, nevertheless I felt a bit of sadness when Lisa told me that she had hired Alexandra to "cover me" and that "I would no longer be needed!"  I could hear the undertone of anger in Lisa's voice when she told me this last Sunday.  I, along with Lisa's parents and Lisa's friend Norma and her husband and family were sitting at the table in Don and Lisa's new house.  Lisa asked me if "Are you well now?"  I told her yes.  (I had caught the respiratory bug that Alec and Katie had when I babysat them while they were home sick from school for a week).  Sure enough I had caught it about a week after Katie had it, and I wound up with bronchitis. (I suffer from bouts of chronic bronchitis usually a few times each year).  I couldn't pick up the kids from school during the week that I was ill, and thus Lisa hired Alexandra, and the rest of the story is history.

I was so used to being the babysitter for my grandkids for the past year, or perhaps longer, now I am free to enjoy them as a Grandmother and not the babysitter who must be the disciplinarian.  God knows I am not a good disciplinarian when it comes to my grandkids.  So there it is...but it did feel sad to me that I picked up on Lisa's displeasure with me.  I cannot live up to her high standards of what she wants out of me.  I can only be me...and she obviously felt "let-down" by me when I get ill and cannot do the duties that she has assigned me.  (sigh).  Well, now with Alexandra handling this particular job, I can breathe deeply and relax.  If I am not fulfilling a particular need that Lisa has, she won't be angry with me.  Simple and yet so complicated it seems.

 

Today has passed quickly and I look forward to television tonight.  I love watching "Hell's Kitchen" with Gordon Ramsey (may have spelled his name wrong..I dearly hope not).  I laugh my way through the program while it is on, sweat with Chef Ramsey's underlings, and occasionally sympathize with them when Chef sternly and loudly cusses at them.  Something about Ramsey reminds me of Michael.

 

The palm trees dance in the breeze this evening as the sun sets in Longwood.  Just another day in Paradise.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gentle Comes The Night

 

The wind has died down tonight, and as I sat on my Lanai in my favorite Old Blue Chair, I watched the sky turn into a beautiful explosion of colors as only a Florida Sunset can do.  I sipped my ice tea laced with lemon and felt my heart beat slow within my breast.  I had shut off the television before closing the door to the living room, carrying the ice tea as I sat down in the Blue Chair.  I could not listen to any more of the news that carried such economic global fear.  I allowed the quiet of the day to comfort me as I watched the sunset slowly dim upon the horizon.  "Gentle Comes the Night" I thought to myself as I sat with Cleo at my bare feet and my newest little cat Mocha stretched out dozing upon my lap.  I could feel her thin bones as I petted her.  Mocha came into my life much like Cleo...unbidden and restless within my thoughts. 

 

 

Mocha

 

 

I had driven to Petsmart January 15th to buy cat food for Cleo.  I wandered by the Adoption Pets Room of Petsmart, and from a small cage peered magnificent yellow-green eyes of a very sweet face of a female Dilute Calico.  I read her statistic page.  She is 4 years old (the same age as Cleo) and long-haired.  I wanted to walk away, not adopt this cat.  I have been quite content with Cleo and the occasional visit of Sidney Cat the tom cat who roams the neighborhood freely and stops for an occasional bowl of food that I set out for him.  I went home and the eyes of this cat burnt an image into my soul.  The next day I went back to Petsmart and obtained the information for adoption.  She had been spayed November 11th, 2008 and from the information I received from the adoption agency she had spent many months in a small dirty unkept cage along with many other caged dogs and cats in an outdoor car port.  The adoption agency had heard about the deplorable condition of these animals and had stepped in and called the Animal rescue who came and removed the animals.  Mocha arrived malnourished, with fleas and tape worms resultant from the fleas.  She was treated, and placed in Petsmart for adoption.  My heart ached at this and I filled out the adoption papers quickly.  I brought Mocha home on January 17th.  Her coat was filthy.  I set her up at my vets for a checkup, shots and received Revolution which is a topical once-a-month application to remove tapeworms, heart worm, fleas etc.  I was familiar with REvolution as I use the same for Cleo.  I also had her claws trimmed and a bath.  I think Mocha felt quite stressed at all of this, but it was necessary.  I put up with two weeks of hissing..and an occasional cat spat between Cleo and Mocha, but finally they have reached a truce.  Cleo lies on the right side of the bed and Mocha lies on the left side of the bed...

I fall asleep to the gentle purring of Mocha who is more verbal than Cleo when it comes to purring.  I have dubbed her my "Purr Machine" and she lives up to it quite well.

 

So the story of Mocha...

 

"Life is full of endless surprises," I thought to myself as Night enveloped the Lanai, cloaking me and my two little cats in darkness.  The sounds of the frogs reached my ears as Night arrived in all of its mystery.  The cool air brought goosebumps to my arms as I pulled a knit sweater around me.  I opened the door to the Living room and Cleo and Mocha followed me inside. 

 

Another night has arrived in Central Florida.  It is to rain tomorrow.  I welcome it with as much anticipation as I welcomed the sunset this evening.  Nature has a way of bringing balance to a world of chaos.

 

Good Night my beloved family, my sweet friends...may serenity fill your soul as Gentle Comes The Night...