Granny's Update

Lenny and Kelly and the growing baby are progressing nicely. The last doctor appointment found Kel healthy as well as the baby. The baby's heart rate is beating at 155 beats per minute, nice and strong. Kel's nausea is subsiding but she continues to feel tired. We (they) will be able to find out the baby's gender in about 5 weeks.

Our Corpus kids Ry and Jen are doing well. Jen is still experiencing nausea and tiredness. They too will be able to find out the baby's gender in about 5 weeks time.

Dezbah Daisy, Rachel and Melvin's adorable girl will soon be a year old. She is growing like a weed and is cute as can be...looks more like her momma every day!

Grandpa's been busy

Cradles for the new grand babies. Beautiful aren't they? I did ask him what he is going to do if one or the other (or both) have twins....he decided that the babies will just have to share!

No no Peeko it is not for you!

My contribution comes next (after having given David the idea of the cradles..). Pictures when I am finished with the projects....have to wait until we find out the genders.

Easter Creation

My home made desert for this year. Not only was it cute but it was quite tasty as well.




My friend Jessica, upon seeing the bunny cake, commented, "How did she get so creative". She just ASSUMED that Kelly had made the cake! What the hell...does it seem so impossible that I can be creative as well! Ok so maybe it does but hey, I am getting better! AND I may have had an assistant when it came to decorating the cake...thanks Chrissy.



I hope you all had a nice Easter.

A Reflection

http://www.mankato-freepress.com/local/local_story_087004350.html

Tomorrow will mark 10 years since StPeter was devastated by the F5 tornado. Today's Free Press features the events that day and since. The above link is the on line condensed version. If you are interested in reading the entire article you should be able to access it in tomorrow's on line addition. It is worth the read.

That day mom and dad were down and Len was home. David, Len and I watched the tornado approach the St Peter area from our back deck. Mom and Dad were in the basement. When Len was blown off of the deck we decided that it was time to join them in the basement. We were spared but StPeter was not.

Rachel was working in StPeter when the tornado hit. The restaurant had full glass front windows. She and everyone else rushed, just in time, to the coolers and were safe. Her car didn't fare as well...but it was just a car. She was safe.

The devastation was incredible but the caring folks who showed to help, without being asked, was something else. It was a time to remember.

FYI

I just received a spam comment on my blog, which I deleted. Because of this I have chosen to monitor comments posted to this blog. You are still able to comment (friends and relatives please do continue to do so) but there will be just a bit of a process to complete thus allowing you to comment.

Happy Birthday Jen

Today is our daughter in law Jen's birthday.

Have a happy birthday Jen and do something special for yourself on this day.

Testing

We are in the north land testing out our new internet service. I want to see how labor intensive of a process it will be to blog with this new service so here we go. The pictures are random ones as I am trying to see how long it takes to upload them as well.

We have sold our main home. It was not listed but a friend of a friend is going to buy it. The deal is not yet done, we are not sure when she will be moving and when we will be booted out, but we will make it work. It may be that she will own it prior to David retiring and at that time we will have to do some juggling.....However, we would be not so smart if we were to loose a buyer so.....

And Renee loves the house. She appreciates the wood and architectural detail, likes the decor AND she wants to keep the birds and feeders!

David and I put a lot of work into the house and we both have always been pleased and proud of how it turned out. When we initially talked of retirement (years back) I then thought...no no no I don't want to sell this house that we both love and have put so much work into.

But life changes, it shifts and evolves. We are now both very anxious to move to the north land, the new home that we put lots of love into refurbishing, adding on to and making it ours. My fondest memory is shingling our little slice of heaven while going through chemo (and yes it is a fond memory...it helped me live). It was 90 some degrees with 90 some percent humidity. I was bald, weak and very cognitively challenged due to the drugs that were pumped into my system. I had no business being on a roof much less trying to help poor David shingle. But we got it done. I felt as if I could fall off the roof at any time, was sweating bullets and for god's sake I could not remember which way to lay those shingles for the life of me. I think it was that project that pointed out to both David and I that I had lost some cognitive skills. Simple things like how to saw a board or how to correctly lay a shingle (tasks I had done with David numerous times) were difficult for me. It may have been difficult for me but poor David...I am sure he wondered if his wife was always going to be a mess (and I am...tee hee) along with, Oh the hell with the mess at least I have her! We laugh about that time often...a fond memory indeed.

Things just seem to have fallen into place, a buyer for our house that appreciates what we did with it, cancer free, early retirement (we hope), a little slice of heaven to move to, wonderful friends and family, grand kids and a spouse who is my best friend.

Have I been rambling...why yes I have. I do seem to do it well!

Embrace the 'shifts' in your life.

The Sun Sets On A Beautiful Day

And a wonderful vacation as well

Beach Gate Party

Sort of like a good ole tailgate party minus the snow and cold. Remember those.....before the Vikes games at the dome everyone would party outside in the parking lot...cold as hell...roast sweetcorn, grill burgers and DRINK.

Well it seem a family group from Arizona, Ohio and Wisconsin have brought the idea to the beach. Lots of sun, no snow, no football and no electricity so....

They rigged up a gas powered blender and brought it on down!

The best Daiquaris on the Island you can bet.

Keith, we cannot believe that you havn't come up with this idea yet! When we saw it we both thought of you and your inventions.

And Uncle Brent, David has found a couple of projects for you. In fact we have decided that we would be willing to spend the winters down here to watch over your projects for you.

Project number one-a great landcruiser that just needs some TLC

Project number two-a jeep that could be lots of fun if it were only fixed up a bit

Project number three-this one just needs the interior re-done.

Are you up to the challange Brent? These jeeps have actually been admired the whole time we have been down here by many passers by. Beats me what the hell they see in them...a guy thing I guess.

One more day on the beach left. Then it's back home, get a dumpster (yes Mary a dumpster) and start to lighten our load to get ready for retirement.

Our Texas Birthday Boy

Train lover and soon to be poppa.

Happy birthday Ryan and may you enjoy this new venture in your life. If your young one grows up with even a bit of your personality and caring ways, he/she will be a wonderful person just like his/her daddy.

Love

Dad and Bobbi
(Grandpa Dave and Granny B)

One Hell Of A Storm Blew In

Last night the weather went from 83 degrees to 68 degrees in no time. The wind began to blow and it rained rained rained. This morning the streets were littered with strewn about stuff (most of which was grabage) and it was still cold.

David however braved the beach. I knew it was bad when only he and a Canadian couple were the only fools on the beach. The wind had not calmed much (was still blowing at 18 miles an hour) so David rigged up a shelter to keep from being pelted by the sand.

I on the other hand spent the morning walking around town with camera in hand.

These are for you Jan.

The island cemetary that I like to visit at least once a trip. It is beautiful and very peaceful.

This side of the island didn't look at all stormy

But this side had 6 foot breakers coming in.

The main 'drag' before the crowds began with sand drifts to boot.

A look down a 'town' street with the ocean in the background.

David posing in the ocean (or was he really taking a leak??)

The paparazzi caught the two of us this week as we were walking on the sand bar

Well OK so it was only Jessica but she thought she would be the paparazzi and sneakily get a piture of us. BUT, in trying to be sneaky so also got lost....good thing the island is small and one can't be lost for long.

The Olivia, a Mediterranean eatery across from our hacienda.

Just another day in paradise....reality soon to hit, too soon we say!

Experiencing Isla

With a tatoo..nope not me but Jessica-

How to go about finding a tattoo artist.

1-Wander the streets looking for someone who does tattoos

2-Run into a totally inebriated islander

3-Follow him as he says, "You come with me I show you". But follow carefully as it seems to be difficult for him to walk

4-Go into a closed up shop with this stumbling fella

5-Have a Cervasa, or two

6-Watch closely as the tattoo is painfully etched on your foot

7-and walah, the finished product
And then on to getting a hair cut

Our 'beauty parlor' and the chariot that brought us here

My beautician and me...and the before head of hair

All said and done after unloading more hair than I knew I had as well as four whole dollars (and that included the tip)!

Jessica's turn. No cut just a highlight-for six dollars.

And I kept this little cutie busy taking her picture, over and over again, and showing them to her.

At Home You Have Blowing Snow

Here in Mexico we have blowing sand.

Winds one day this past week were blowing at 40 miles an hour. Beaches were deserted, apparantly no one but David and I wants to be pelted with sand. Palm trees were whiping in the wind and the waves were high.

BUT, a windy day on Isla is so much better than a cold snowy day back home.

Today the weather was good. We took a trip to Isla Contoy, a national park and bird sanctuary that is only habitated by birds and other creatures. We have always wanted to do this trip but never wanted to miss a day on the beach. This year we decided we could miss a beach day and we are glad that we did. Lenny and Kelly flew home on Saturday and now we have Jessica and her family, who joined us on the Contoy trip

We had our captain-Tony the wonderful person behind the wheel. The couple sitting right in front of him are from Arizona. They are an older couple who just got married two weeks ago and were on their honeymoon.

And believe it or not his first mate...David. I dont know Mikey, do you think it's first mate or would Anchor Yanker be more appropriate?

There our tour guide David is pointing out the beautiful floral on the island with "And there's another fu--ing tree over there".

Tony is not only the capitan but the chef as well. He his brother and Uncle put on quite a spread. We had fish and chicken cocooked on a large open pit, guac, rice, chips, salsa, fruit, beer and pop. It was oh so yummy!

This island is a photographers paradise-

Being a bird sanctuary, there were many-

We were lucky enough to spot some newly born (or hatched) white babies. This guy is being fed by his momma.

The water is so clear that you can see the fish without a snorkle mask. The come right up to you, rubbing against your legs in hopes of getting fed.

This is one ugly dude.


And then we have the island favorite. A huge sting ray that is so tame he too comes up to you in hopes of getting fed.

He swam right up to me, about 6 inches from me. It did make me a little nervous but he posed quite nicely.

And allowed David to pet him.

Hermit crabs were all over and not a bit shy about coming close

And the ever present iquana. One can never get enough pictures or them!

Alrighty then, I have spent enough beach time in this room blogging! Off to the beach I go to do what we do best.....sit in the sun, relax and watch people. There are some interesting ones here...and of course it's a good thing we are so damned normal huh?

Oh I am going on another adventure today....going into the colonial (where the islanders live) to get my hair cut for 30 pesos or 3 american dollars...yup I am going to try it...we shall see huh?