February in Florida

Okay, okay, I know I've been bad about keeping you informed of our "adventures". It's just that there has to be an adventure to write about.

We keep hearing this is the coldest winter ever in Florida. It feels like we are to blame for that. After all, what is different this year over all the others? We are here. So it must be our fault. March HAS to be awesome.

Since January, we have taken a couple of dinghy rides. There will be 4 to 6 groups from the harbor and we'll go exploring the canals. Every time we end up at a restaurant for lunch. Sounds familiar, doesn't it? We've anchored out overnight at Ding Darling. That was fun, but windy.

Jeff and Cheri Conniff arrived. It was a good thing they were here for the Super Bowl. The video system the marina people set up to watch the game didn't work. We ended up hooking up Jeff's TV and watching it in the tiki hut. It was so cold that we had gloves, coats, hats, and blankets on. It was kind of like watching a game in Cincinnati.

I am taking a block of the month quilt class here. On the first Saturday of February, I went to the class, and my sewing/embroidery machine broke. I left it there for them to fix. I was told 2 to 3 days unless they have to wait for parts. Today is 15 days and the parts are out of stock. It needs a new motherboard and touch screen. It sounds expensive. I have a lot of projects waiting.

We have a brand new granddaughter. Katherine Elizabeth Sagel was born on Feb. 16. 2010 at 10:13 A.M. and weighed 8 pounds 2.5 ounces to Jeff and Susan Sagel. They called us on Monday, the 15th and said the doctor was going to induce labor at 8:00 P.M. on Monday. We started home at 2:15 P.M. and were at the hospital at 8:00 A.M. We got there 2 hours before Baby Kate was born. She is absolutely beautiful with lots of hair and lovely skin coloring. She was born on Tuesday and came home on Wednesday. They had a little scare and had to take her to Children's hospital on Thursday because she had not gone to the bathroom at all. She lost 8 ounces. They sent her home with formula and now all systems are working fine.

We had a stowaway with us on the trip home. Sue Mayer rode along so she could visit her children and grandchildren. We enjoyed her company. It made the car ride seem to go faster.

It was nice to see all of our family while we were home, but you can keep that snow and cold. Our next trip home will be in April. Jay and Cynthia's baby BOY is due April 4th. If you ask Carolyn and Maria what their new brother's name is going to be, they tell you Pluto. Perhaps this little baby will have a nickname before he's even here.

On Valentine's Day, John's parents, his sister Joan, niece Kim, and Norm and Sue went for a boat ride with us. It was 62 degrees out, but sunny and warm with the canvas down. It was a nice relaxing afternoon. The company, the food, and the scenery was all good.

Before we went home, Charlie and Diann Myers came to visit Norm, Sue, John, and me. We went out to lunch with them. Do you notice a recurring theme here? It was nice to visit with people from home.

Today is another scheduled dinghy ride. Our restaurant destination is Pinchers. We've not been there before, but I'm sure it will be good. Retirement seems to be a lot of eating out.