Ancestors and Descendants

In the short period of one week, I have become awash in a sea of information about the ancestors and emails from the descendants. As I blogged last week, I went to the Braddock Higginbotham reunion Saturday a week ago. This prompted an inbox full of emails with the exchange of photos and photo identification and oooh's and ahhh's-lots of them from me!



Wednesday, Marcia and I set off for Madison to the old A&P now the home of Elmer's Genealogy Library. I knew he had a copy of my great, great Uncle Amon DeLaughter's journals, and I was rabid to see it. Turns out, it has been transcribed by Elizabeth H. Sims, who also wrote a history of Madison County, and I was able to photocopy it. Along with it were several other interesting documents, and I was able to get a copy of a copy of my great grandfather's obituary from 1910-barely legible, so I transcribed it. With these in hand, I left Marcia comparing knee replacements with Elmer while I trotted over the the "Old Bookstore" to get a copy of Elizabeth Sim's book.


Mrs. Cherry was running the store, and asked if I had relatives in Madison. Of course I bit, and she pulled out the phone book, a rather small thin phone book, and began to look up the phone numbers of our common relatives. I was curious to add these names to my memory in case I ever run into them, but I am way too shy to just ring them up.


However, back at the Library, Elmer encouraged me to take the email of one of my cousins from the DeLaughter file. This woman had convinced Elmer to open the library for her on Labor Day in 2003, and, since there was nowhere open to eat, he and his wife had provided a little cookout for her. So, I emailed her, and after making it past her screen, have been corresponding with her ever since. She has always lived in the Edgefield, SC area where the DeLaughter's call home (since the young American government gave the emigrating DeLaughter ancestor bounty land for his service in the Revolutionary War), so she knows the way to all the cemeteries, and has offered her services as guide should I head up that way. Sounds like an offer I would not refuse. Might be time to crank up the Cronemobile for an ancestry mission.




She also was able to identify the people in my unidentified photo.

For those of you who are family, here is the ID: L to R front row: Alexander A DeLaughter, Frances Janette "Nettie" DeLaughter Adams, James "Jim" Adams, and probably Thomas Jefferson DeLaughter. Back Row: little girls unidentified, big girls are Estella Adams and Martha America "Mattie" Adams. Alex, Nettie, and TJ are siblings-children of James Pickins DeLaughter who was brother to Amon and our grandmother, Annie Elizabeth.

So, we got home from Madison via Floyd's Diner in High Springs-we had missed lunch, a rare occurance! The trip home was pretty difficult for Marcia. She had forgotten to bring along her pain meds, and there was no elevated leg sitting, so it was complaining big time. Once home, she was able to get to sleep, and I read the journal till 2 am.

Amon's entries are short and he records only the things important for recording about the plantation and every letter he ever gets or sends-hence a virtual directory of family members. However, on his birthday and at the end of the calendar year, he spends about a pararaph in reflection on what he has or has not accomplished. Each year he makes a trip to the family in Alabama, the Days-his mother's parents, and from there on to Edgefield, SC where he enjoys being with the family and in the place where he grew up. I was not only rivited to the journal, but, together with information from Cousin Carol of Edgefield, I keep thinking about what life must have been like for them.

The journal ends with his trip to Texas via ship to Galveston where he is recording which land is best for farming and how much it costs. Within a year of the end of this journal, the Civil War begins and turns their world upside down. Amon survives, but has a foot amputated. His mother dies in 1864. His brother, Jasper is killed in 1862 at Sharpsburg. His baby sister's husband is killed leaving her with a baby daughter. This is my great grandmother, Annie Elizabeth DeLaughter Witherspoon Shaw. She will go on to marry (if my reading is correct) the overseer of the neighboring plantation-a marriage that would have been well beneath her social station just a few years before. The neighboring plantation belongs to Judge McGehee, who called together the convention of succession for the state of Florida. His overseer was Thomas Jefferson Shaw, my great great grandfather.

James Pickins DeLaughter, younger brother to Amon and Jasper, survives the war and goes back to Edgefield, SC. His son, JP Jr. becomes a state legislator for SC, and his descendants include my corresponding cousin in Edgefield.

Elmer says that Elizabeth Sims says that there were several other journals of Uncle Amon's in the possesion of a Mrs. Crandell, Amon's grandaughter. When Mrs. Sims went to her to ask if she could transcribe the other journals, Mrs. Crandell said that she had moved and couldn't find them. This drives Elmer crazy, and probably makes him wish for a genealogy and rare things police to conduct a raid of the DeLaughter house, which is now occupied by the great grandaughter of Amon and her husband who is somehow related to the bookstore lady. I too would be quite happy to read the other volumns.

So, this is a puzzle that never ends. Each discovery leads to at least 10 more questions. How did they get Amon's mother's body to SC in 1864 with the war going full guns, so to speak. How did Uncle Amon walk? (There is a newspaper article about the donation of his wheelchair to the American Legion Post in Madison-1971-donated by Mrs. Crandell-he used it for his "adjustment".) Etc, Etc. Endless puzzle.

For now, I have plenty of papers to study and spaces on the tree to fill in. I have maps and cemeteries and history books and biographies to read, and ideally, more photos in my inbox. Probably I should also water the porch plants.

KG

Front Yard Sunset

KG

A Walk Around the Gardens

When the Braddocks and Higginbothams are making my head swim, and it is after 5pm, I might just go for a walk in the gardens. Now you can come along too.

Just outside the back doors, next to the carport, the hydrangea is doing well. I am hoping to get some cuttings from it for a little bed in the front yard.

Occasionally, for no reason that I can discern, blogspot's photo brains override my photo orientation and do it their way. Whatever, this is my 9 in. mallow hibiscus. What's not to love???

This year, this is my favorite garden. The caladium are in full force, and there are little treasures in the middle of the garden. I just got a few more caladium for that little gap.

There are a few little fruits on this tree. Hope they make it!

Love these crepe myrtle! They are a little more blue purple than they appear in this photo. I have been eyeing other crepe myrtles as we drive, and I love the color that these appear to be, so it is ironic that my photo has changed the color. These are actually Catabawa.

Here, beside the row of Catabawa crepe myrtle is the first wide bed. Plan A was a bumper crop of a variety of heirloom tomatoes, peppers, okra and basil. Plan B seems to be a few little tomatoes and an occasional okra or pepper-no basil, alas.

This is the three sisters and a scarecrow. I'm surprised the scarecrow has held it's pants on so far, but it has. Plan A was stalks of corn that serve as support for two kinds of butter beans with squash groundcover. I'm sure the crows are laughing at my bonsi corn. There are some blosoms on the beans and maybe one squash blossom.

This is the pitiful tomato bed.

One little watermelon plant is valiantly striving to get out of bed.

The butt buggy spends quite a bit of time in the Cronemobile Cathedral these days. Forget using the chipper shredder. The Cronemobile sits ready with a full tank of $1.93 per gallon gas just in case we need to get the Dodge out of Hell!

This bed lies uphill from the Cathedral. It is the compost/papaya bed. Those little patches of green are groups of papaya seeds germinated. When we came home from our first RV trip two years ago, we had great papaya trees with lots of fruit. I'm thinking, maybe not this year.

Pitiful bush beans and zuchinni presided over by cardinal. Good that we had a few of the first blossoms, because subsequent ones fell off.

We did get a mouthful of blueberries. There are a few left as well.

Back to the front yard, this crinum is looking a little droopy, but it has been very fine. Love the color.

Next blog-we'll check out the sunset in the front yard.

KG

"I Wonder How the Old Folks Were At Home"

This was my first family reunion, as an adult. My only other experience was the 1960 reunion, pretty much limited to the descendants of my great grandmother, Emma Elizabeth Braddock Higginbotham. She was 84 at the time. I was 10.


Grandma Em with 9 of her 10 children.




Grandma Em with the descendants. I am front and center. Though it is hard to tell in this fuzzy 1960's photo, I think the little girl to my right is Frances. She now organizes the reunion.

The reunion I attended yesterday has been going on for many years and includes any descendents of Braddock or Higginbotham families. To give you an idea of how many people that might be, Jean Mizell, noted geneologist of the family, has listed 1,480 Higginbothams and 932 Braddocks in her family tree. These would be only those people with the birth name of Higginbotham or Braddock-not inclusive of children of women who married out of the family.

There were probably about 80 people attending this reunion-held in the Masonic Hall in Callahan, Florida. Amongst these 80 people, there were several who have photographs that give me such delight! Fortunately, these people are also computer literate, and they have been very busy sending me photos and documents that will fill my hot summer indoor days with interest and excitement! I am posting my two favorites.




This is Grandpa Malachi Higginbotham 1827-1899. I also have a photo of a photo that Frances and I remembered being on the wall of my grandma's house. We had no idea who he was, and probably would not have been very interested at the time.




This is Malachi's wife, Catherine Lang Higginbotham 1828-1869.

The Braddocks and Higginbothams moved to Florida when it was still Spanish East Florida. They were encouraged to do so for their own benefit-to have farm land, and for the benefit of England-to nudge the Spanish out of Florida. Wouldn't they be surprised to see the Spanish signs in Home Depot??? They eventually became "Americans", nudged the British out, chased native American's out, bought Africans, fought Federalists (aka Yankees), survived the losses of war, and more wars, and made lots of children.

They also made lots of children with each other. As I began to trace my ancestry, I kept returning to the same ancestors. I thought I was making mistakes. Eventually, I got out a huge sticky pad-the kind you use for teaching, and mapped them. I was not making mistakes. I am descended from 4 of the children of Burroughs Higginbotham and Isabella Donna Incy. Braddocks and Haddocks provided whatever variety we have in this gene pool, but that variety got played and replayed countless times.

Since this is not something our parents told us, I was not sure how much it is know or acknowledged in the family. The reunion set that to rest. The president/MC of the reunion told several stories about our "interconnectedness". Many of these families still live in Nassau County. He said that he played basketball for Callahan High, and they went to Jacksonville to play some prep school. Those preppies somehow knew that everyone was related in Nassau County and taunted the country boys about being cousins. In fact, they were, and they knew it, and they won!

Cousin Jerry Braddock, who has published a history of our early illustrious seafaring ancestors, gave us a little rhyme about our cousin marrying. Oh what a tangled genealogy they did weave,
When Braddocks, Haddocks, and Higginbothams first practiced to conceive.

Cousin Jerry's book is "Wooden Ships, Iron Men". I'm going to get around to reading it this summer. Apparently David Cutler Braddock drew the first map of the Floirda Keys, and it is in the Library of Congress. He had time on his hands while laying in wait for Spanish galleons to plunder. I like to think of him as a pirate, but actually, he was government sponsored and didn't get to keep all the loot. Appararently he was once accused of holding out, but was exonerated. I bet he did, though.

Another highlight of my trip was the row of photos of past grand masters of Masonery in the hall. I was able to photograph lots of the photographs, and quite a few were relatives. I would say, relatives one way or another, but I am quite sure it is several ways and others.

After the reunion, I made my way to the cemetery where my mother and grandparents, etc, etc, are buried. It started to sprinkle, but I asked for a little time to take photographs of headstones and was granted it.

So, I now have family data to keep me quite busy for quite some time. But am I content? Not!

I met a Mr. Ferguson of the Jacksonville Geneological Society at the reunion. I bought a book out of the trunk of his car. It felt rather illicit, but geneology IS my "drug of choice" these days.
Mr Ferguson encouraged me to go to Madison, Florida, the home of another of my family lines, to Elmer's Geneology Library. http://www.elmerslibrary.com/about.php He says that it is a wonderful place for those of us with the craving for family history-the old A&P converted into the best organized genealogy research library you have ever seen. I can hardly wait.

I have actually been in email contact with Elmer regarding a copy of a journal written by my Uncle Amon DeLaughter-ante bellum. Marcia and Holly are ready as well. Maybe this week....

KG

"Temporary" Failure to Launch

I'm glad we are home to see the new hawks get fledged this summer. We have been witness to these events before and have had the privilege of watching the "kids" on their first outing for flight school and trips to the hunting preserve we have cleared and mowed in the back 3+ acres. It doesn't always go well for the hawk families as our ears of often filled with screeching and pleading from the young ones and patient coaching from the parents.

This has been the case for the past 3 days as a mother hawk has again chosen our place to coach her young one on feeding itself. The babe has flying skills down and certainly can keep up with Mom but her feeding of the young one is dropping off to force self sustenance once and for all. Mom returns, usually in the early morning with some small tidbit that gets consumed in the trees. She preens her young one briefly and goes off on her day, leaving it screeching, pleading and in bounding fits of flight hoping for Mom's return. The hours of screeching certainly reveals the panic and perhaps hunger of this fledglings experience.

This morning the screeching began near sunrise and has continued most of the day. The young hawk is flying from tree to tree with agitated and panic filled calls. No sign of Mom yet. Perhaps today is the first day alone. Really alone, except for the company our ears and eyes offer. Plus, it's going to rain again today. These young birds look even more miserable when they are soaking wet, hungry, and lonely

Stella and I have been witness to the young hawk's attempt to walk down on the ground in hopes of some carrion or worm that might cross its path or perhaps a stray squished bug on the driveway. We drove the Glof within about 10 feet of it before causing the young bird to hop away to a safe distance. Our young guest is finding that just its presence can create a problem. Several times I've noted that other birds are chasing the young hawk. Ravens and cardinals alike have no qualms about chasing this temporary guest. Even the wrens have joined the insult process as they chased it off of the chainlink fence in front of the house. The calls and pleadings continue this afternoon. Still no sign of mother hawk.

Progress is tough and noisy sometimes but this is a good place for these babies to learn how to fend for themselves. It must be a beneficial and reliable place to educate young hawks since several mother birds have come this year and they seem to return to the same "launchpad" with their young year after year.

mdt

Summertime

The rains have started. We have no complaints. We actually enjoy sitting on the porch and watching the lightning and thunder. Stella has another story, however.

We didn't even complain as we drove through an impressive storm earlier this week. The temp was at 98F when we started, dropped to 69F in the storm, and resumed 98F after we drove out of the cloud (as recorded on the KIA thermometer). Our Mother can be pretty impressive when she chooses.

Marcia is indeed doing well. From my perspecitve, she is pretty much back to functioning as she was prior to surgery with the possible exception of an occasional outburst of something like, " Oh, Wow!!!", which means something is unhappy in the knee and letting her know it in no uncertain terms. We are both looking forward to the cessation of these and an even higher level of functioning. Tincuture of time, I do believe.

If you might enjoy a virtual trip across Canada, check in with our friends from Vancouver, BC. We know them as T&T and Maggie. They are bicoastal. Some of you will recall our visit to their float home last summer. They are leaving BC and heading for their other home in Newfoundland. This is the home they had just bought when we met them in a KOA in West Halifax, Nova Scotia. Maggie and Stella hit it off right away.

Maggie is a trained agilitist (???)-she does agility with Janna. They recently made it to regional competition including BC and Yukon. She and Janna have the summer off!

Check out their blog: http://coasttocoast-ontheroadagain.blogspot.com/

Our big summer events include dental appointments for cleanings, an occaional dip in the river, and some brief time outside-mostly in the evenings and mostly for oohing and ahhing at the summer flowers we haven't seen in two years. There is something hosta like in the blockhouse garden that looks like three big white tulips-very impressive. Amazingly, the other hostas have survived and are making bloom stalks. My new mallow hibiscus just got home from the garden shop and decided to give us three 9 inch diamater blooms in brilliant merlot. Ta-Da X 3! I promise to put it in the ground soon. Maybe I will get out with the camera. Maybe I will put the camera outside first for a few hours in the shade to acclimate lest I be shooting through condensation.

I would happily buy a truckload of plants from one of my favorite nursery stores, but the thought of digging a hole in this heat just puts me off of the idea. Maybe these plants will go on sale in October, and I will feel more like putting them in.

I have been tending to the ancestors on a regular basis. I cleaned out my on-line tree of all duplicates, and now must do some patching. Since I am going to the Higginbotham-Braddock family reunion in Callahan this Saturday, I should be well briefed on family names.

I am also reading Bill Bryson this summer. I started with "A Short History of Nearly Everything", and since it is on my palm pilot, I only read it in waiting rooms. It is rather long, so I am not done yet. However, since over 90% of my ancestors come from the British Isles, and Bill is a self confessed Anglophile, I recently started his "Notes from a Small Island".

I am taking great comfort in his explanation of how we all got here. He points out, (in "Nearly Everything") that if you calculated the number of people it would take to make you and calculated that back to Roman times, it would be 1,000,000,000,000,000,000 people. Since there weren't that many people in the world then, you are the result of some cousin coupling.

Because my family tree contains quite a few cousin couplings, and the Braddocks and Higginbothams took this to new heights, my tree more closely resembles a web, and the center of that web is in Callahan, Nassau County, Florida. Do, if you will, hold a thought with me this Saturday as this lone lesbian enters the Masonic Hall full of Baptists.

I also got a copy of a book by one of my cousins, Essie Mae Washington-Williams. She is the daughter of cousin Strom Thurmond. The Thurmonds married DeLaughters-my maternal great + grandparents. They kept cousin marrying down to a minimum, as far as I can see. I am curious to hear cousin Essie Mae's take on the Thurmonds.

Tonight, the river is a mirror and the setting sun up lights the Spanish moss hanging over the river so that it glows X 2. As long as I look at it from my window, it is fabulous. Outside, heat and mosquitos rule. However, soon the lightning bugs will be out shining.

KG

Looking good at six weeks

My six-week visit was Thursday and I did drive myself as Kay noted. Driving short distances of 15 minutes or so has been do-able but longer than that creates a static position that my leg will not tolerate without some movement that includes some flexing. My short trips serve as some driving time and some important walking experience that builds some stamina. Once home, rest and elevation are still essential.

The surgeon visit included new x-rays that made it clear to me that there is a patellar button stitched into my patellar tendon. It was odd to see something there that has been somewhat annoying when I flex my new knee. The surgeon says it helps to lift the tendon off the new prosthesis but it will take some time to stretch to its new limits and that I am doing well with the exercise and stretches. He did smile when I told him that it took me some time to get used to the new "clunking" in the knee. When the old knee went through a clunk it was most certain that searing pain was to follow and it made me pause any movement immediately. I appreciated the fact that the new knee does not initiate this pain at all. Most of my pain is just muscle and tendon pain and/or spasms. My bionic knee brings much to be pleased about and we both proclaimed it a successful improvement .

I am somewhat impatient with the process and he seemed to understand this. I was advised that most of the transitional process will be completed in about two more months at which time I will see him again. My days will continue to be filled with the daily exercises and progressively longer walks to build stamina. Then we will think about what's next.

mdt

Driving and Floating

It is getting way too hot and dry. I spend my days moving the hose from garden to garden. The birds flock to the sprinklers. Last week, a Carolina Blue was seen sitting on top of one of the sprinklers and I swear to you, laughing and dancing.

After moving the hose, I look for a shaded place that needs weeding, or a task that can be done in the shade.

Holly has been coming to get a cold water workout and muscle treatment. This encourages us (me and Marcia) to get in the river. So, after slopping another coat of teak oil on the garden furniture, I doned swim atire and headed for the river while Marcia drove herself to the doctor for her check-up.

Marcia reports that he smiled. Imagine! He explained that the new patella has a button that holds a ligament up, or some such thing, and that is why she is feeling tightness, and that eventually it will stretch into perfection. She will have to explain more. I don't know what is involved, and that's OK with me.

Then, not only did Marcia get in the river and snorkel for awhile, she got in the float! We had a great time sitting and floating and chatting. Holly moves us around and ties the float up just right so we stay mostly in the shade. She draws the line at swimming under the float and blowing up the parts that become deflated. I would think that this is just another skill of scuba training, but guess not. She does chuckle at the view from down under when we move around on the float though.

The first time is the hardest for getting in and out of the float. After that, the physics of navigating bouyant devices and water kicks in and one remembers that falling off a log is pretty mindless and simple stuff. Since there are no extra points for grace...just roll!

Porch settin' is not as much fun as it was even last week. Just too hot! We did enjoy some watermelon on the porch for awhile, but had to go jump in the river shortly thereafter.

Stella mostly stays inside. In the rare event of thunderstorm, she stays in her little hidey hole made with old furniture cushions. She is close to the windows and door to the porch, but safe in her hidey hole. Some evenings, long after dark, she goes out to the porch. We think she smokes. She is very reluctant to come inside and go to bed.

Tomorrow, we plan to go to Tampa and stock up on our favorite ravioli, olive oil, and other Italian treats. It will be good to do a short road trip. We will top off the tank at Wal-Mart where gas is still under $4 a gallon. Not much under though.

KG

Report from GRITS (Girl Raised In The South)

All of the white flowers are blooming. Especially the gardenia. If smells could be described as thick and viscous, gardenia, magnolia, and jasmine would be the ones described.

Several weeks ago, when I was still trying to work outside during the day, I passed a section along the uncleared fenceline that had that viscous odor of white summer southern flowers. I am not particularly olfactorily gifted, but these summer smells are molasses to the nose, and olfactory gifts are not necessary.

So far, this is my lone blooming gardenia. Every house I have left in Florida-that would be two in Gainesville-now has a huge blooming gardenia. Since I sold my last house to friends, they bring me the blossoms. They say it is loaded-thousands of them!!!! What with the jasmine on the entrance, it must be an olfactory orgy! There is also honeysuckle draping over the fence. I got 21 cuttings in about the year 2000, and one survived to make a, now huge, honesuckle avalanche over the fence. Cheryl has shared cuttings, and I'm hoping they take on a little section of fence line that I have left standing just for them at the river house. Knock wood.

The creamcicle daylillies continue to bloom. There are also FSU daylillies (garnet and gold) and some really spectacular purple ones.

We set on the front porch in the evening. We set and rock and watch the birds. Last night there was a piliated woodpecker show. A family with two young woodpeckers were cavorting about-pecking holes in the oak, and taking wet dirt baths in the new hydrangea bed. By the way, we have both oakleaf and the regular blue hydrangea blossoming. Photos may come later. The Carolina Blue's have taken up residence in the Rock City bird house, the flycatchers live in the duck box, and the black and white chickadees live in the Nova Scotia snow house. They provided accompainment to the woodpecker show.

Stella thinks she keeps the squirrels in line. The squirrels taunt her by being nonchalant as long as they are on the outside of the fence. Several weeks ago, we watched a squirrel narrowly miss being hawk dinner. It was venting for 30 minutes afterward in the relative safety of the oak tree. "OhmyGodIalmostgoteatenbyahawk...."

Marcia is so back to almost normal ambulation that I can go on about flowers and birds. She gets in and out of the hot tub. She will soon be driving again-I know this is her next goal. She is back in the kitchen. This week, we had dinner at our pizza special restaurant in Beverly Hills! If I can manage to find steps for the seawall, she will be in that float. That's good, because it is reallly too hot to work, and we need to just float for awhile. Float and inhale the gardenias.

KG

Bona fide GRITS

Memorial Day and 90 degrees

The magic day has arrived. My PT guy has the holiday duty and arrived to check out my progress. I hit the magic number, 90 degrees flex, on my knee bend. I am discharged from his care until the next knee is done. I'm not in a rush and know that there is still a ways to go with getting full range and full function of my knee so I still have a job with my daily workouts. The swelling is gradually reducing and the dysasthesias seem to continue to change and resolve. It feels really strange as the sensations range from just burning to a feeling like there are large bugs crawling on my skin. Really weird, but it beats the initial electric screaming pain I started with.

Memorial Day turned out to be a pleasant and somewhat spontaneous delight. Cheryl&Hilda and Barb&Dana arrived afternoon and some of us enjoyed the river and the big float. BBQ and the wonderful side dishes were enjoyed by all. Afterward, we all plopped on the porch and watched the river recover from the onslaught of the boat and float traffic. Peace returned to the water and to all of us as well. It was a fine day!
mdt

Several Days After Dinner and Laundry and Gloffing

Several days later, it seems more prudent to take things a little more slowly. This is, of course, not our first wish, but seems the more prudent path.

Marcia is back to cooking, and this pleases us both-quite a bit! She employs the electric fondue pot so she can sit and cook. Very smart and tasty! Sometimes she orchestrates from her chair, and I follow directions to the T.

Today, we got the rain we have been asking for, and it looks like it will continue into tomorrow. Slow and steady water falling from the sky-Ah.

The down side of the rain, is that the driveway sealer was applied this morning when it looked slightly overcast, but who knew since we have been having overcast days and promises of rain for weeks now. So, the sealer is puddled around, and our driveway sealer person must come back another sunny day. In the meantime, there will be no gloffing, and the KIA will be parked next to the chromemobile cathedral-on the grass. We can still drive through the yard.

Bringing in groceries from Gainesville today was accomplished by loading them into the butt buggy and driving around the yard to get as close to the back door as possible to unload them. Luckily, rain was coming down a few drops at a time when I was doing all this.

We are well and well provisioned for awhile. We really don't need to use the driveway much these days, as sitting for extended periods in the car does not work for Marcia. We will be content to watch the soggy Memorial Day flotilla on the river this weekend, and dine on some of Marcia's guava baby back ribs. Thanks to netflix, we also have several movies.

Stella will probably suffer most from lack of gloffing, but she is getting some frisbee, and she is easily bought off with a rib bone.

KG

Glad Glof Success

I worked hard on getting my knee to bend over the weekend. My PT arrived today with his limb protractor at the ready. After all my exercises were completed he protracted 82 degrees. That's a 3 degree improvement since Friday. Ninety degrees in withing my grasp by his visit next week- with hope and a lot of work before me.

Anyway, I thought I might see if I can get my leg bent enough to run the accelerator and drive the Glof. It was very close and it came to me if i folded the seat down flat I would be a bit higher and could probably get my foot up on the vehicle deck. Seat was folded and Voila! My heel made it to the landing and I was moving. My first journey was out to see how Kay was coming with the picnic table and to check the worm bins. I was good to be out and look at the zucchini blossoms and take a self guided tour of the yard and such. It wasn't long before the knee and leg started to complain about the ride so I made for the carport and my Glof exit. I still have trouble moving my leg and foot about in the car though. Maybe it might change by next week so I can drive, but I know I must be patient with these funny acting muscles involved in the dysasthesias I have in my thigh.

Dinner tonight is to be some of the Wolfson's Smoked Linguicca sausage with peppers, onion. tomato and garlic served with our lovely Ravioli Co. ravioli and some garlic bread. I noted that we might need to make another ride down to Tampa for a new batch for the summer and maybe include lunch a Costa's in Tarpon Springs next week. Maybe I'm getting a bit pen sick but I am suggesting these trips very cautiously after my last trip to G'ville.

The sun is setting and casting it's last rays on the Rainbow and lighting up the leaves and river grasses. Stella and I did the Glof ride around the yard this evening. It was fun to be out with her again. My knee is complaining about it again so I guess it's time to ice it into a happier place before bed. What a great day!

mdt

Glofing Again

You heard it here first-as I predicted-Marcia is Gloffing again. She folds the seat back down, and is able to get the height she needs to manage the pedal. I was working on the picnic table this afternoon-mostly stripping screws-when she just drove up. Wow!!! Stella was a bit incredulous tonight when Marcia offered to Glof her. She looked back and forth between us to see what would be happening. She has just come back inside, and reports to me that she is happy (pant, pant, pant) with her Glof.

In addition to Gloffing, Marcia accomplished a mountain of laundry-washing and drying and folding. It is a long way to the closet from the laundry room, so transporting folded laundry is still my job.

Then there was dinner. We were having ravioli from our favorite ravioli maker in Tampa accompanied by sausage from our favorite sausage maker in Gustine, California. Marcia figured she could save her energy by cooking in the electric fondue pot at the kitchen island. So, dinner was delicious, and not too hard on her.

We have massages scheduled for next week with our favorite massage therapist! I have a haircut on Thursday in Gnville, and Marcia is working on one for tomorrow afternoon. We are talking about a day trip-maybe to Tampa since we have eaten up most of our ravioli supply. We are being more mobile!!!

The picnic table is assembled and in place. Lots of logs got moved to where they needed to be. The butt buggy has complete access to the Cronemobile Cathedral and both it's bucket and fork lift. There is even more prediction of rain, but of course, they have lied to us quite a bit lately, so we are skeptical.

My next prediction is a road trip-probably a day trip-in the car. Stay tuned!

KG

First of the Garden Goodies-OMGess Squash Blossoms

We got 5 zucchini blossoms day before yesterday, and I only took about 6 today. Marcia made a ricotta filling and fried them with a corn meal batter. She made foccacia and her oven baked rapinni and we dined! If the rest of the garden follows suit, we are in for a gustatorially fine summer!

She did a bit more sitting in prep today, but pushed the limits-perhaps a tad less than Friday night.

There were little bits of grape tomato onion olive in the little frying pan when I went to clean up. I just couldn't resist a little crust of foccacia to clean it up with. It was that good!

It is now the accepted pattern that Stella will goldbrick on the evening Glof. I will hot rod. The Glof gets 10mph tops, so we are rounding the curves at probably 8mph and enjoying the squirrels scattering. She is out in the front yard now, barking at them-"Don't even come near the fence, cause I'm bad! and fast! " Since the squirrels can do 15mph, I am almost certain, they just laugh.

Every Friday, I fill three of the smaller Droll Yankee feeders for the front yard, and the big feeder just beyond the kitchen window. By Saturday, the fartherest feeder from the fence is empty, and the second fartherest is half full. By Sunday morning, all three are empty. The birds know to wait till the squirrels are having their siesta or have gone to bed for the night. The big feeder in the back yard might have feed the whole week. It is the Droll Yankee Flipper, so only the finest acrobat squirrels get the grub. I am thinking that if times get really hard, I have a shotgun and shells, and I know those squirrels have dined on the deluxe seed.

There is one little fig on the biggest fig tree. There are several very small oranges on the Satsuma tree. There are several little tiny tomatoes. No sign of basil. The speckled butter beans are making their way up the bamboo poles I provided. The corn is trying, but cannot rise high enough to serve as support for the beans.

Stella and I sing as we Glof. "It ain't gonna rain no more, no more...." It tried very hard to rain today, but not even a drop fell. We get promises from the Weather Channel every day, but the clouds pass us by. Tropical storms are looking good, and we even think that hurricanes might not be too bad-maybe just a little hurricane. Yesterday, I spotted three birds sitting on the log borders of the raised beds and cavorting in the sprinkler spray.

KG

Day After Blues

We both woke feeling a bit rough yesterday morning- achy, sore and etc. I thought that I had suddenly fell into a vat of hell since I basically hurt from my neck to my toes. Between sessions of exercise and just moving around in the bed I analyzed where I might have gone wrong the day before-- was it the acupuncture, the ride in the car, walking, or all of the above. None of it made sense so I began to think that we both had a touch of something else that Gainesville offered for the day. Tylenol helped the most and rest made things more tolerable.

Kay on the other had was able to tough it out and explore that wonderful back 40 and discovered squash blossoms that will most likely bes stuffed with something yummy tonight. She promised a couple more today perhaps and I will be glad to be in the kitchen again for them.

We both seem to be feeing better today. My PT is coming late this morning and I hope I will be a bit closer to 90 degrees in spite of my down day.

mdt

Grillin and Gainesville

Last night, she did a steak on the grill and potatoes in the micro, and sat while making a salad. I for one, enjoy her cooking more than my own, so if she is back in the kitchen even part-time, we are both happy. I will be going to the grocery store for now, however.

We did go to Gainesville today. On the way to: in the front seat. On the way home: in the back seat, crosswise. We navigated the car wash, involving getting out of the car and sitting while they did it, and getting back in the car-front seat. I did a very short run to Homo Depot.

Marcia got an accupuncture treatment while I did Fresh Market and picked up lunch. She sat up in Pam's waiting area and had lunch while I got stuck. It must be said, that Marcia endures pain well, but accupuncture is the only place I have heard her screech. That Pam is a good stick. She did my heart protector today and the chi bolted out my bird finger. Pam always looks so pleased when she gets the point.

There was a Lowe's run to do, and it took more time than it should-Wendy in outside garden was not with it! However, The transition to back seat happened in the Chun Ching Market parking lot while I was picking up the jaio tze. Some Chinese groceries and a little pain reliever, and we made it home.

She is frying up the jiao tze right now-after a little rest.

I think the walker is history-till next knee. The cane seems to be where it is at these days.

KG

Spoiled Again

We got the Cheryl and Hilda treatment again today. There was a massage. There were cornish game hens stuffed with cherries, blueberries and apricots and cous cous. There was a salad and fresh herb dressing. There were little chocolate cakes with strawberry (a real one coated with chocolate icing), but we couldn't even get to them as we were so stuffed. That was lunch.

After lunch, I took off in the yard (maybe waddled) to get some of my "to do" list accomplished.

Marcia tried the Glof out, but, though the knee is making it to 75 degrees, lifting it 6 inches to get up on the Glof is not yet happening. It really looks much better, and the Vitamin E oil she rubs into the scar seems to be enhancing the healing. Though it still has a red area after walking around, it has lost it's purple tint and the area of reddness is getting smaller. Gary, the PT, comes twice a week these days. He is very pleased with her progress.

I was delighted to get a new battery for the DR chipper today, so tomorrow, first thing, I will be chipping the pine bark and mulching the citrus grove. Sounds big, but we are looking at maybe a dozen trees. Plenty of time for projects B and C. I am watering about every other day, so there is hose moving to be done about every hour or so. I am letting them go for longer times as the gardens grow. It really needs to really rain!

I am finding the misting tent to be more like a soaking tent. I'll check the info that comes with it to see if I can turn some of the misters off.

Stella was a goldbricker gloffer again tonight. I really can't blame her. The setting sun through the Spanish moss drapped oaks and the silky smooth crystal clear water are just too good to miss, and the squirrels had gone to bed.

KG

Sec Sat and Butt Buggy Ride

We did Sec Sat. Marcia managed to have a good time without cooking. Well, she supervised the cooking of a couple of baking sheets of hot wings, but that was it for her. She rested and visited and had a good dinner.

Meanwhile, Pat and Carol and I moved the big oak stump/planter to it's new place-entrance to the driveway. Big job requiring three women, a KIA, a butt buggy, and 50ft of heavy duty chain. Took several tries and strategies, but it is in place. After this savage amusement, we set up the misting tent and inflated the new mega-island float. Some of us found it very difficult to leave this little relaxation station. We tied it to the seawall and just floated with the current and the breeze.

Today, Marcia got in the butt buggy and we had a ride around the place. Gardens change rather dramatically in two weeks. The tomatoes now require cages, and are showing blossoms. Beans are looking good, but some corn is lagging behind.

Though she still uses the walker most of the time, she is able to use the cane a little bit each day. This allows access to the family room and the vehicles. She is showing interest in the Glof, but forgot to try it on her way back to the house today. Maybe tomorrow.

News Flash!!! It is raining. We haven't seen water fall from the sky in weeks. It is probably just a sprinkle, but we are glad to see any rain.

Five minutes later. It is not raining, and the sun is out. Perhaps I should go turn on the sprinkler.

KG

Moving along...

Gary, my PT is still please with my progress as my knee is bending to 65 degrees and leg strength is improving. I can stand and shift weight back and forth between legs with confidence. I told him I was using the cane on short distances in the bedroom and he thought I could try it out and about the house some, warning me that my leg can get sore initially. I should try it out in small doses.

Yes!!!! I starting using it and my first goal was the family room for some different perspectives. It was a delight! Carol W. came by and I walked out on the porch with her so we could admire Kay's cleanup and purge project. Wow does it look great. Back to the family room and several walks to the bathroom later my knee said it was time to quit with the cane. Bedtime was filled with BioFreeze, an ice pack and pain meds to get to sleep. This morning I'm sore but pleased with my progress and promise myself less cane use today.

mdt

Independence Days

You heard from Ms Freedom and Independence. She prances around, then ices. She is currently on the leg motion machine-which she put on the bed and adjusted herself. She also reports that she did this yesterday.

I'm predicting that Sec Sat will be a breeze with icing, and Sunday will be a chill fest.

I, myself, have occasionally enjoyed the new great big ice thingie she brought home from the hospital. It covers the whole back. After a day of savage amusement of the heavy lifting kind, it is just the right thing.

Today is porch resurfacing day. Stella was initially glad to see them-perhaps someone who came to play in her fenced area. As he day goes on, the novelty will likely wear off.

We have Glofing to do.

KG