For your reading and viewing pleasure

Here are a few photos of Ella, taken while she was here in Florida with "Gammy." I still have a smile on my face when I think about her visit. This week I've been reading a lot of blogs and have read some wonderful posts. Go here to read a heart-warming story that dates back to World War II and the Berlin airlift. You will smile and perhaps have a tear or two as you read this story.

Over at Kenju's place, today she posted a newspaper article about a long distance relationship that lasted for many years, spanning the ocean. Again, your heart will be warmed as you read the post. Click on the photo and you will be able to read it with ease.

Finally, since Ella's diagnosis with CF, I have read many blogs by CFer's. Many go through very hard times, but there is such a strength of spirit and love of life that keeps them going. This morning in my mailbox was this link. Lo had a double lung transplant a couple of years ago that went south. A year ago she had a second one, and in her journal this morning she writes of her journey. It is truly amazing to read of her journey and triumph through difficult times.

Please, please, read all three. You'll be glad you did.

Mancat Monday

I'm hijacking Debra's title for my post today. Every Monday she has Mancat Monday, and usually Mr. Ping is the subject of her post. I have been wanting to show off Sarah's cats for a while and I thought today would be a good day. If you've read here for a while, you know that Sarah had to put her beloved Tucker to sleep some time ago. She gave a very loving tribute to him here.

Before Tucker ever got sick, Sarah decided that she would get another cat to be a companion to him. Thus, along came Samson, a furry friend that she met at Petsm*rt. She had the habit of going in to get her cat food and always stopped by to see the kitties who were up for adoption. Thus, along came Samson. He is a sweet-natured cat. The vet loves him. He's so easy-going and loves to play. He loves to be scratched under his chin, but he isn't too much for getting up in your lap.

When Tucker got sick, Sarah began to think about getting another cat, not to take his place by any means, but to have another one there to be Samson's companion, once Tucker was gone. Well, one day her friend told her about this black and white cat, again at Petsm*rt, who looked like he was begging for a home. So home he came.

"Mom, Monroe's not eating, and he won't come out of the closet," Sarah said one day. I told her to give him a little while, and he would warm up to everything. She finally took him to the vet and found out that he was one sick cat. His gums were infected, his ears were a mess...anyway, to make a long story short, $400 later, he is a healthy, happy cat. She jokingly told the vet that she was keeping him in business.

When we went to take Tucker for that fateful day, we got to talking to the vet about Monroe. She had not seen him, but she said, "Oh, I heard the techs talking about measuring his whiskers because they're so long." Monroe is a cuddler. He doesn't care to be in your lap too much, but when I was over kitty-sitting a couple of weeks ago, I lay down on the sofa, and he got right up beside me, all comfy.

When Sarah went through all she did to get him healthy, she said she was going to write the H*mane Society a letter to let them know how much it had cost her, but she said that when you adopt one, you sign a waiver. My thought about all that is that if they can spay or neuter and put in a micro-chip, they could take the time to check them over otherwise. Maybe he slipped by. At any rate, he is a wonderful cat, as is Samson.

Thematic Photo - Wood

Carmi is hosting a photo theme, Wood, over at his place. Last week when my son and his wife and Ella were here, I dragged them up to Dade City to visit the Florida Pioneer Museum. Much of my history is there...the office of the doctor who delivered me and was my doctor, is in the museum; the one-room school house from Lacoochee; the train depot from Trilby where my granddaddy worked. After the railroad was changed from "rails to trails," the depot was moved to the historical park, and this engine from the Cummer Sons Cypress Mill was brought here.

As Carmi started this theme, I wondered what I had that would fit. My mind went to these huge logs that I saw on the back of the train. They represented the livelihood of many people in Lacoochee from the 20's, through the depression in the 30's, and on until the mill closed in 1959. During the depression the mill hands worked for 10 cents an hour.

The town was truly a company town and thrived during the hey-day of the mill. Housing was built for the employees. Rent was 50 cents a week. After they got electricity in the early 40's, a house could have electricity for an additional five cents. A commissary was built; when the houses were filled, a hotel was built near the mill.

My father worked at the mill, and during the war, because many of the townspeople went to serve in the Armed Forces, German was prisoners were brought to work in the mill. Part of my father's job was to guard them.

It was in Lacoochee that he met my mother. She had come to live with her sister there. They married in 1933. I was born in 1941, and we lived there until the war was over in 1945.

After the lumber mill closed, other companies came in and worked at different industries. Today the building is still there, but nothing is operating. As the saw mill declined, people began to leave. Many moved to Dade City. Every year, however, there is a Lacoochee reunion that is held. The VFW hall is filled with people who come back to reminisce, look at old photos, and talk about those days that are no longer. You can read much more about the history of Lacoochee here.

Thematic Photo - Wood

When I was at my son's this winter, I enjoyed taking photos of the bare trees. One day I was sitting in my car and looked up and saw this "creature" yawning, crying, or I don't know what. Carmi, over at Written, Inc, is hosting a different thematic photo each week. Visit his blog and join in.

Fun at Gammy's

Here I am, having a splashing good time in my gammy's pool. I wanted to be here all the time, but my mommy and daddy wouldn't let me. I found Gammy's keys and tried to open the door, but it wouldn't work. (Fortunately, the key to the door wasn't on that ring.) I love the ring that helped me float around in the water.

My daddy gave me lots of good rides on his back. If I were here much longer, I'd be swimming like a fish.

My mommy and daddy had a good time with me in the pool. They got cold though, and we had to get out after a while. (With the rains, the pool water did cool down a lot, and Ella was shivering, but she didn't want to get out.)

In Florida

Last Wednesday I made my much anticipated trip to Tampa to pick up Ella and her parents at the airport. I hadn't seen her since the end of March, and what a difference a couple of months makes. When she saw me, she came toward me, but she wasn't too sure. She had been well schooled in saying "Grammy" and Aunt Sarah. On the way home in the car, she kept calling "Gammy." I sort of hope it stays that way. I like the sound of Gammy.

Prior to coming to Florida, David and Sabrina and Ella spent a weekend in D.C. David said her favorite time there was in the pool. She called it the "ocean." So my pool had quite an appeal to her. It didn't take long for her to get acclimated to the water. It's a good thing that there's a lock on the door. My pool hasn't seen so much activity in quite a while.

David went out to the garage with the wipes and cleaned up the F*sher Price garage that he and Sarah played with many years ago. The only things missing were the Bert and Ernie characters who rode in the cars. The elevator doesn't work quite as well as it used to, but it was fun watching them play and remembering days many years ago.

By the time you read this, they'll be on their way back home, and my house will be quiet once again. It has been a full and fun week, and I'll miss them terribly.

Haven't I Grown?

My mommy and daddy took me to the zoo in Washington D.C.
I saw another little girl who looks just like me.

Why Lacoochee Kid?

When I started blogging, I thought I would use it to chronicle my life for my children. As I thought of a name for it, I had no brilliant ideas, and so I thought back to my childhood and Lacoochee. I don't think there would be too many people who would use that town's name in a title, and so I decided to use "Lacoochee Kid."

I was born there and lived there until World War II ended. My parents had decided to leave Lacoochee oncethe war was over. Even though I was not quite four when we left, my aunt lived there, and we went back and visited from time to time, and then sometimes I would go and spend a week with my aunt. And so I have quite a few memories of Lacoochee.

If you read this post, you will understand the photo in my header. That picture holds many memories for me. I put a photo of myself as "Lacoochee Kid" in my profile because that was one of the photos my parents had taken of me in Lacoochee. Someone commented today that Ella looks a lot like that picture. It has indeed been interesting to compare our photos and see the similarities.

There isn't much to Lacoochee any more. The building that housed the saw mill is still there, and there are a couple of buildings, a post office, I think, and a school. I drove by one day on my way to the northern part of the state and tried to picture in my mind the Lacoochee that I knew. It isn't there any more. However, much of the history of Lacoochee is in the Pioneer Museum in Dade City. That is one place I hope to go when Ella comes with her parents; that is, if it's not too hot.

Hello, Grammy

Hello, Grammy,
This is Ella calling. I'm coming to see you next week. My mommy and daddy are coming too. We're getting on an airplane next Wednesday and flying down to Tampa. My daddy found these tickets long before the prices started to go up so that's good. My mommy hopes the weather will be good.

I'm looking forward to playing in the pool and going to the beach. And, Grammy, I know you are going to want to show me off to all your friends. That's all for now. I'll see you next week.

Bye, Ella
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The weather maps show rain every day, but you can't believe what you see. Yes, we are having rain, but it often comes later in the day, so there will be plenty of time for the beach and swimming in the pool. And yes, it is hot, but not as hot as other places have been seeing these days.

We'll have a good time, and yes, there will be pictures to post.

Project Blue #7

In my dining room is a fixture that was made for me about 28 years ago. We had friends at church who started having their children soon after my two were born. Tom is an elementary school principal, and he is very artistic. Back when macrame was the in thing, he and another fellow from church made items and sold them at the mall whenever there was a craft fair.

At one point he did stained glass, and so in exchange for baby items, I bought the materials, and he made this fixture for us and our home. It brings many fond memories to me any time that I turn it on. If I ever sell my home, or if my children end up having to sell it, I want them to take the fixture down and keep it. They can find a replacement.

The said news today is that the truck driver who was burned in the accident did not survive.

I write a bit from time to time about cystic fibrosis. I read a lot about it...about the successes and the failures, the hope and the despair. There is a blog that I want you to go to. This young mother is a writer...I am not. She is the mother of a little girl, about a year older than Ella, and her daughter has CF. She wrote a post this last week on Friday, "A CF World" which expresses so well her thoughts about having a child with CF, and I feel that it could be any parents' expression.

Project blue - Take six

Going to a Rays baseball game is beginning to be a fun experience. This is the first year in their history that they're having a winning season. Last Saturday night was Bradenton night at Tropicana Field. Three friends from Sweet Adelines and I went to watch the Rays beat the White Sox.

Pictured here is Raymond, the Rays' mascot. I thought he was wearing enough blue to qualify for Project Blue. It was Country Night, so he was dressed accordingly. After the ballgame there was a concert by Trace Adkins. The game sold out, and that is a rarity there. I think the concert had something to do with it. As they are winning more games, attendance seems to be increasing, and that's a good thing.

Pitching has improved greatly, and the defensive plays have been fun to watch. They are a young team with many good years ahead. At least that's what we're all hoping.

Project Blue - Take 5

Can you tell I'm getting ready for Ella's arrival? Her parents are bringing her to see me in less than two weeks.

While shopping for some necessities for her, I got a little carried away and found these W*nder Pets. When I was with her this winter, we watched their program on N*ckelodeon. I tried in vain to find some of them when I went shopping then.

But hooray, the other day I found these. When I taught first grade, I kept up with what was all the rage with kids, but having been away from the classroom for nine years, I've been out of the loop. Well, I'm getting back in. And it's FUN! Happy Friday, everyone.

Project Blue - Take 4

Once more the blue skies take the day for project four. I have taken some other blue photos for posting, but I don't have them downloaded yet. I promise something different for tomorrow.

Yesterday there was a terrible accident in our county. A tanker went over an overpass on I-75 and exploded upon impact. The driver is in the hospital in critical condition from burns. It's a wonder he was even alive to be taken to a hospital. I-75 is a main corridor, used by many to get to work.

I had occasion to go to the east part of the county for a get-together with my friends from Haiti days. Some folks drove from Dunedin, which is to the north, and they said it took them three hours to go about five miles. When our lunch was done, and I started back to town, traffic wasn't too bad. There were policmen at every intersection controlling the lights to aid in the flow of traffic.

The overpass is severely damaged, and it will be some time until it is usable again. The road underneath must be repaved. Some of the folks who live out east have to take quite a detour to get to where they are going. I'm not particularly affected by any of this as far as my driving, but some folks surely are. You can read about it here.

Blue Skies Take 3

My childhood friend and I decided to be tourists in our area before the weather got too hot. One day we found outselves on the grounds of the Ringling Art Museum in Sarasota. Along with the art museum, there is the John and Mable Ringling Mansion (Caz d'Zan,) a miniature circus, and the restored Asolo Theater. As we walked around the grounds, I looked up and saw the beautiful blue sky. For more blue photos, see Anna's Pics.

Project Blue - Take 2

More water! This bridge is the Sunshine Skyway that spans Tampa Bay, connecting Manatee County and points south with St. Petersburg. The original bridge was replaced after a freighter struck it some years ago. The first bridge had two-way traffic on it. Later a second span was built so that one went north, and the other south. It was the southbound span that was struck, and so for a while there was two-way traffic again until the new bridge was built.

Driving across the bridge and seeing the "broken bridge" as the children called it was quite an experience. The remains of the old bridge were made into fishing piers. Today when you drive across, you will find many cars on the piers with the owners doing their best to get the "catch of the day."

As you drive across, there are often pelicans flying by looking for their catch of the day.

By the way, the toll to cross this bridge was a quarter when it was first built. Today it is only a dollar...quite a bargain. If the bridge were not there, it would be necessary to drive up through Tampa and then over to St. Pete.

Some people do not like going across the bridge at all, but I love it. To see other "blue photos," go to Anna's site.

Project Blue

I tried earlier to post this photo for Anna's Project Blue, and all that was there was the dreaded red x. Perhaps it will work this time. This is a view of the Manatee River in Bradenton, Florida.

Update on Great Strides

A couple of months ago, I posted about Great Strides, one of the fundraisers for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. You, my blogging friends, were the first to respond. I spoke with one of the workers in the Tampa office today to check on my total. Right now the total donated to Great Strides in my account is $2155. Hooray! Thank you all again for your part.

Did you know that you can give to your favorite charity by using GoodSearch? You can download their toolbar to your computer, and when you are searching the internet, GoodSearch will give a penny to your favorite charity. A penny, you say? Every 100 makes a dollar. I have their toolbar on my computer, and yes, you guessed it, the CFF is my charity of choice.

When you go to the GoodSearch website, you will find different stores that will donate part of their earnings to your charity. It is a painless way to give. It actually costs you nothing. Try it out today.

A Wink and a Smile - A Better View

A trip to the museum

Bradenton is the home of the South Florida Museum. It is located just across the Green Bridge by the Manatee River. Our museum houses Manatee County's resident manatee, Snooty, who will be 60 this summer. When my children were small, I bought a family membership so that we could go whenever we wanted without having to buy a ticket each time.

The museum has recently undergone major renovations. Some of the exhibits still need to be put back in place. One day, after Christmas I was there, and saw this neon sign of Bradenton. When I was a little girl, we would go to Lacoochee to visit my aunt or to Starke or Trilby to visit my grandparents. Whenever we got back to Bradenton, I knew we were home because this sign was at the end of the Green Bridge all lit up. I felt like it was my special greeting, "You're home now."

I have no idea of the date of this garage, but just take a look at the price of gasoline...also look at the car. We wouldn't be wanting to ride around in a vehicle like that today, but in its time, it was probably quite the machine.

Fifteen cents a gallon? What did you pay today? Yesterday I drove to St. Petersburg to have lunch with a friend. Fifty dollars didn't fill my tank, and it wasn't even empty. But we got a good deal on lunch! B*nnigans has a lunch deal with 10 or so entrees and beverage for $4.99. My friend and I each had one of the specials and then we split that wonderful Brownie Ice Cream dessert. The total bill was $15 and some change. Such a deal. Spending the money for gas was worth it...good food and a good time with my friend.

I've Got My Eye on You!

Instead of the good, the bad, and the ugly, this is all good. My son sent photos from Mother's Day, so I knew you'd be so glad to see them. I don't know how to make them bigger.
I'll have to get David to resolve that for me, but I thought you'd like to see newer pictures of Ella.
She's got her eye on you.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

In my opinion, last week was not a good one in Florida. On Mother's Day a young mother and her two children, 2 and 7, were murdered and mutilated...even the family dog. a "boyfriend" is being held.

On Monday, a pastor's plane was missing in North Carolina. Rev. Pollock, of Bell Shoals Baptist Church in Brandon, was flying with his son to a meeting in Texas. They flew to North Carolina to visit his mother. After takeoff from Asheville, the plane disappeared from sight. The plane was later found, with both the pastor and his son having lost their lives.

This gentleman had just led his congregation in the building of a new facility, preached the first message in the church three or four weeks ago, and now yesterday, his memorial service was held there. I encourage you to read about him here.

And then there are the fires in Florida. A number of people lost their homes to fires that were deliberately set. As I was watching the news, one gentleman was being interviewed. As he looked at the rubble that remained, he said that the only thing important to him was to find something of his wife's. When the reporter asked him if he found anything, he said he had...some of his wife's mother's jewelry. His thoughts were only for her. He became my hero of the day.

Early in the week, I opened the paper and looked at the obituaries. One was for a 25-year-old man. One always wonders if the death has been from an accident when one is so young. As I read through the obituary, at the bottom, it read, "Contributions may be made to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, All Children's Hospital, or Shands Hospital." My heart sank. CF sucks...the breath out of the lungs.

OK, where is the good? Nate and Tricia got to take their baby girl home from the hospital. What a miracle this has all been.

And, last, and certainly least, The Tampa Bay Rays are playing decent baseball for the first time in their career. They have been the laughing stock of MLB, but now they seem to have found the sorely needed pitching. They've been playing awesome defense and have some good hitting. Go Rays!

CF Walk

This is the group I walked with at the Great Strides Walk the last Saturday in April. These ladies work at Gevity, where Sarah works. One of the ladies had a nephew or cousin who had CF, and she got a team together last year. I joined with them. The totals are not all in yet, so I don't know exactly how much was given for Ella and others with CF. There were probably 100 people there that day for the walk.

Several have been held in the greater Tampa Bay area. One will be held this Saturday in Tampa at the Lowry Park Zoo. I'm tempted to go up for that one...it depends on the heat.

Loneliness

I saw the face of loneliness this past weekend. I have a friend who lives in central Florida whom I have known since I was 9. She was the camp director of the camp that I went to every summer after fourth grade. I went as a camper and then worked there during the summers in high school and college.

She had come to Florida in 1948 after graduating from Bible college and working for the government during the war. She along with another lady were the backbone of the camp.

She's now 86. Her co-worker died about five years ago, and my friend has lived alone since. We reconnected four years ago, and I began going over to visit her. Being from Pennsylvania, she's a great PSU fan, and so I would go over and watch football games either at her house, or seeking them out at a sports bar if they were not on network TV here in Florida.

I didn't get over this past season because I was in Virginia with Ella, but I received an e-mail from her stating that she was going to have a hip replacement in February. After she got home from rehab, she asked me if I'd come spend a few days with her. I checked my schedule and told her that I could come for a couple of days this past week.

I had told her that I would get to her house before noon, so she began looking for me around 10 in the morning. I didn't leave my house until 10:30, and I got there about five til 12. That was before noon, wasn't it.

In the afternoon we took a ride out to the camp, where she still sits on the board of directors. She showed me all the changes that have taken place. She is so proud of this place in Florida where she gave so many years of her life.

She has people who look in on her. Her neighbors are great, but she says, "I'm just so lonely." As I think about her, I think about the many elderly who are in a similar situation. While there, I began reading the book, Water For Elephants, which is the story of a man who worked with the circus. As he tells his story, he is now in an assisted-living facility. He says, "I'm 90 or 93. I don't remember which." And then he begins to talk about aging and looking at his hands and then his face in the mirror. "Who is this person?" he wants to know.

The weekend was a good lesson for me. Do I overlook old people? Do I think they are not worth my time? I pray to God that I will never lose a sensitivity to them or fail to be a friend.

Back from Competition

First of all, thank you for your kind comments and encouragement in the last post. It's wonderful to have such good, caring friends in the blogosphere.

I mentioned a week or so ago that our Sweet Adelines chorus was headed for regional competition this weekend. We boarded a bus Friday morning and headed to Daytona Beach. After checking into the hotel, we headed over to the auditorium where the quartet competition was being held. Several of the quartets who sang have competed many times before, and there were quite a few who were on stage for the first time. Some are very polished, some a bit tentative. I said to the person sitting next to me that anyone who got up on stage and sang like that deserves a medal. I love to sing, but I don't know how I'd do in a quartet on stage.

After the quartet competition, our chorus met in a rehearsal room at the hotel and had thirty minutes to work on our songs for the next day. By that time, it was after 10, and some of us were quite hungry, so we went to the restaurant in the hotel and had a bite to eat. Fortunately, the restaurant was open until 11. They put about 12 of us in the VIP room, where we had a rollicking good time.

The next morning we had rehearsal again at 8:00. After breakfast, we had time to get in our costumes and makeup for our chorus competition. On the competition stage, each chorus sings two songs, one ballad and one up tune. The time cannot exceed six minutes for any chorus. Our songs this year were about rain, so we had very simple costumes...pink raincoats worn over lime green T-shirts and white slacks. Our footwear was white sneakers...very comfortable. Some years one wears fancy costumes with sequins and glitter. A chorus can be as creative as they wish to be. This year props were allowed on stage as long as it was all removed before the next chorus came on stage.

Our front row and members on the end of the top row used umbrellas with the choreography. They made a good impression with the judges. Our of sixteen choruses who competed this year, we placed eighth. That score sounds so-so, but we were happy with our score. We improved over last year, and like anything, there is always room for improvement. Each year the competing choruses get better and better and are very entertaining.

I'll be getting a DVD of our performance, so hopefully I'll get one of the songs posted so you can take a look.