Its Official

We are now entering rainy season in Florida.  Right now we are sitting in the house watching it pour outside.  What we have learned since being here a few years is that when it gets really hot and humid, we will most likely have a rain shower in the late afternoon.  Rain usually doesn't last very long but it does force us to put all the patio furniture and cushions under the roof because by the time they get dried out, it rains again.  So basically we have furniture and cushions in a pile most of the summer.

The pool is coming along slowly at the other house.  The coping that goes around the top of the pool has been challenging but I think we finally have it right.   The ground is being prepped for the pavers that go around the pool and we are hoping to have them delivered this week.

In the meantime, I have been refinishing a bedroom set that we found on Craigslist.  We were not really looking for a bedroom set at the time, but when we called about another piece we were interested in, we found out that the owner was moving up north for good so all the furniture was on sale.  Well, one thing led to another and the deal was too good to pass up.  Little old lady selling out cheap.  My kind of deal!  So I have been working on our new bedroom set.  And that's why I keep checking Craigslist.

We had to put a stop to all production tho for the holiday weekend.  Our friends from Georgia came down for the long weekend and we were able to celebrate another friend's 60th birthday party, go on a boat ride in Naples, have a nice lunch at the Boat House, and just hang out.  We had great weather and were able to spend a lot of time in the pool.  Debora and Ken live a little over 400 miles from us. It is a hike for them so we appreciate that they make the trip.  Its always good to see old friends.

Lastly I want to be sure to thank all the veterans and military for their service.  Enjoy the holiday. And stay dry.  Margaret

Mother's Day 2015

Happy Mother's Day to all those mothers, grandmothers, godmothers, stepmothers, mothers-to-be and whoever has loved a helpless creature.  Since I am able to write a blog and actually have people look at it, I feel privileged to share some thoughts on this day.

I recently read "The Girls Who Went Away" by Ann Fessler.  This nonfiction book tells the stories of girls decades ago who were forced to give up their babies for a variety of reasons but mostly due to the shame an unwed mother would bring to the family.  The young girls were usually sent away to give birth and then brought back home as if nothing happened.  Unfortunately most of these grown women are haunted by the memory and long for their lost child.

So many of us have our children and can openly celebrate this day but we forget about all those women who gave up a child, some because they had to and others because they knew it was for the best.  I know someone very closely who gave up a child 30 years ago because she just could not manage raising a child and every Mother's Day I think of her and what to say.  Do I say something and bring up a painful memory or say nothing and pretend it never happened?

Having kids is no cake walk.  Its a lot of work, its a lot of worry and stress and tears but there is also the hugs and the laughs and the dumb comments that make you wonder where you went wrong. Many years ago I asked my dad when you stop worrying about your kids and he looked right at me and said never.  And he was right.

I lost my mother almost 12 years ago and when I see a little lady out shopping or walking I am reminded of her.  She is always with me and today we'll spend some time together.

Today is for all the mothers out there no matter where your children are.  Enjoy your day.  Margaret