Leads to....

One thing leads to another.  As I mentioned Poppa noticed some scuzzy stuff on the oven door....so.... he went to Publix and bought some oven cleaner.....

...... and he didn't waste any time getting that oven sparkling.  Now, let me explain something.  When we arrive at the villa each year, it is always spotlessly clean.  Everything is in its place and we feel welcome and at home.  And, each year we try to keep it like that, and leave it just the way we found it.  Now, after meeting the owners, and finding them such nice people, spending an evening with them and getting to know them just a little - it is even more important to us to maintain their villa just the way they like it.  This year, because of that meeting, Poppa is trying to go the extra mile and do some little things that might not usually get done.  For instance, there were two can openers in the gadget drawer.  One worked like a charm - the other one, well, not so much.  Poppa fiddled with it, and fiddled with it - and....

..... he took it apart, got his little file or rasp or whatever that little thing is, filed off a little burr that was on one of the gears - and kazaam - it works like a charm!  I'm not sure why we need two can openers, but should the need arise, we've got them!

Here's another picture of our little Munchkin.  He's growing up sooo fast.  Mommee called the other day.  We had sent Munchie a Valentine card, and when he got it Mommee told him it was from Nanna and Poppa - and he was saying Nanna and Poppa, so she called so we could hear him.  She says  every time he opens the card, he says "Poppa".

And, here's how things look at home in Canada.  I hear that the weather is fairly mild for our area, and there hasn't been a terrible amount of snow.

This is another visitor to Auntie Colleen's bird feeder.  Beautiful isn't he?  I can never figure out why God gave bluejays such beautiful feathers and such an annoying voice.  At any rate, Auntie Colleen does seem to have a knack for photographing the clients at her outdoor restaurant for avians!

One Thing...

One thing leads to another.  While Poppa was cleaning the floor, I guess he was thinking about the kitchen floor at home, because, even though the spilt gravy was  nowhere near the stove, he decided to take out the drawer and clean under the stove.

He started by taking the drawer out and then he took the oven door off for easier access.  He swept out the dust, then scrubbed under there.  It's all clean now.

When he got finished that we went for a walk.  Interesting thing - there are abandoned drink containers in Florida too - they just look different.

This was dropped in a sandy area, which has been laid out for development, but temporarily put on hold due to the recession I guess.  Lots of folks stroll up there - some take their dogs for a walk up there - and today we met a gentleman teaching his daughter to drive, since the roads are paved but there is very little traffic.  Unfortunately, lots of folks also discard their trash as well.

Here is Mommee's second pair of socks. 

A long time ago, Mommee took dancing lessons.  She loved it.  She started out taking jazz lessons, then added ballet, and finally tap.  She loved all three genres and excelled at them all.  She began teaching when she was 14.  She danced in competitions and several shows.  She taught and choreographed dances for her students.  She won awards, and so did the kids she taught.  Now, the reason I'm telling you all this is to help you understand that she loves weird, unusual and zany socks.  Why?  I'm not sure, but this is my theory.  She is no stranger to being centre stage and the centre of attention.  Like all artistes who are used to being on-stage, she gets a great deal of satisfaction from being in front of an audience.  Hence, she is not self-conscious about people looking at her, and indeed likes it (if its not over-the-top, Hee).  These weird socks draw attention.  Further to all of that - the first vacation that Mommee and Daddee took as a couple was a trip to Mexico.  When I got these socks finished, I thought that perhaps when she looks at them, the colours will remind her of that fun and romantic vacation...in my mind they are the Mexico socks.

Now - a hint regarding the next blog, when Poppa had the door off the oven he noticed some scuzzy spots at the bottom of the oven, near the door where the aluminum oven liner doesn't reach.

Gravy

Today  was just cold in Florida...... no other word for it..... it rained all day.... and it was cold.  We dashed over to the Publix for a couple of things - like a pencil for crosswords - and then home - that was it!

So - I sat and kept on knitting.  Mommee's first socks are finished.  They look like this.....

Mommee likes to roll her cuffs down, so I made extra long cuffs so they still look nice when they are rolled down, but can also be worn pulled up for taller boots when it is cold outside.  These are quite pretty and girlie, and suit Mommee perfectly, she is pretty and girlie.  Her second pair is on the needles and almost ready....there will be another package ready to mail off to her on Monday or Tuesday. 

Now.......I had these nice chicken breasts to cook for supper, along with some potatoes, carrots and green beans for the steamer, and even some Stove-Top stuffing to finish off the meal.  The only thing missing was some gravy.  Down here in Florida, a person can buy really good gravy in a jar - here Squeegie is pleased to show you.

So - off we went to the Publix to buy some gravy so supper would be totally delicious.  Of course, once we get there we buy some other stuff too, and come home with about four bags full.  Poppa helps carry them in, and I start putting stuff away.  The bag with the gravy and some other stuff is on the kitchen counter - so far, so good!  I take out the other stuff to put it away, but leave the jar of gravy in there since I am going to use it.  I think perhaps the gravy was too close to the edge of the counter and once the other stuff was taken out, it was close enough to slide over the edge.  I turn around to put some soup in the cupboard and hear this terrible, horrific crash and smash behind me.  Of course, I spin around and see to my dismay, that the jar is broken and the gravy is everywhere.  Thank goodness, the kitchen floor is all tiled.  Poppa immediately comes to my assistance by ordering me out of the kitchen and then he sets to work cleaning up the horrendous mess created by this errant jar of gravy (I had nothing to do with this mess - it was totally the gravy's fault!).  He did a terrific job... there was no glass to be found and the mess was gone.  So, after another trip to Publix for a new jar of gravy (the one Squeegie has in the picture), I proceeded to make supper - and I must say it was quite good.  But, that messy floor niggled at Poppa, and next thing I know he is mopping the floor.  I was busy watching Law & Order SVU, while working on another pair of socks, and then I realize that I can hear him mopping, but I can't see him.  I followed the noises and found him here......

...mopping the floor in the front entrance.  For those of you who know Poppa, you will have already guessed that he had continued to mop until all the tile floors in the villa were clean and sparkling!

Update from Florida

The weather has been rather disagreeable.  It has been cold, rainy, windy and cloudy.  We haven't been in the pool in days.  Poppa hasn't even been golfing for days.  We keep consoling ourselves by repeating...."at least there is no snow, at least there is no snow, at least there is no snow".  It helps - a lot!

Because of the weather, we haven't done very many exciting things.   It has, however, been good weather for curling up in front of the television and doing some knitting.  I finished Auntie Colleen's second pair of socks from the yarn grab.  Remember - there wasn't really enough yarn in that skein?  So I improvised and the finished product looked like this....

Her package went out in the mail yesterday.

I was talking to Mommee on the weekend.  Daddee, Mommee, Cousin Taylor and Munchie all went to our house.  Daddee and Taylor were going snow-boarding and that kind of activity is popular at the ski resorts.  There are plenty of ski resorts open in the winter in our area, so staying at our place was a good idea.  As it turned out, Auntie Muffy also came to our place to stay for a week, so the two sisters had a nice visit.  On Saturday Daddee and Taylor left for the ski hills, and Kev-Inn took Mommee and Munchie out for breakfast and then they all did some shopping.  All in all, I think they had a good weekend.

When they got home Munchie was hungry - and he got to sit on a "big boy" chair while he had his supper.  One of his new accomplishments is taking the table off his high chair - while he is sitting in it.  He's growing up so quickly!

Last time we were at the big Florida Mall there were various tasty samples available to people walking through the food court, and Poppa tried a couple of them.  So one chilly evening we decided to go there and get some Asian food.  We did.  It was very good.  The food court was really bustling.  I took a couple of pictures.  They didn't turn out especially well because of the lighting there, but here is one of them - just to give you an idea.

Now - remember that dying plant I posted a picture of a while back?  It looked like this....

Well, I'm happy to report that things are getting green here again, and plants are starting to recover - even those that prefer tropical climates.  Someone must have trimmed off all this dead foliage and here is what is happening now....

Wow!  It appears that these are some kind of flower - not small palm trees like I thought!  They are growing up quite nicely and I'll try to catch them when the flowers come out.

Meanwhile, I have finished both pairs of Granny Maureen's socks.  Here they are:

I didn't even know this was striping yarn!  I can't wait to get Granny's reaction to them.  I hope she likes them.  They are made from Lana Grossa Meilenweit - which means virgin wool.  The colourway is called Colorado.

The second pair looks like this:

I love this yarn - the way it knit up and the feel of it and the wonderful, subtle colours.  It is another skein of Colinette Jitterbug - this colourway is called Sage.  Because these skeins are rather on the small side I did the cuffs in Patons Stretch in a colour called Olive.  Granny is sensitive to man-made fibres, so I folded the cuff down.  Patons Stretch is a combination of wool and cotton, but there is some nylon elastic mixed in.  The elastic will help the socks stay where they belong on her leg, and folded over won't come in contact with her skin.  It also allowed for good sized socks that will be comfy and warm.  I had a little tiny bit of yarn left - it worked out perfectly.

Now I'm about to cast on for Mommee's first pair in colour #5 in the yarn grab - it looks like this.....

Poppa has gone golfing.....I'm off to put some things in the washing machine.

Re-vamped....

Here is the new, re-vamped, revised and re-knit Auntie Colleen sock.........

I bought one ball of Patons Kroy Socks Stripes in colourway Burnished Sierra Stripes - the colours were amazingly similar to the colours in the Jitterbug yarn.  Then I went ahead and used the Kroy for the cuffs, heel and toe..........and I have lots of both yarns to make the second sock!  I sent this picture to Auntie Colleen and she approved.  So - now I'm off to work on that before Poppa gets back from golfing!

Just before that I would like to introduce you to a little friend of ours.  Remember Poppa's cousin and his lovely wife, who were here earlier and we met up for a trip to the Gulf?  This is their little grandson Matthew ..........

and this is his big sister Kyla................

Cute huh?

Rain - Wow!

It rained this morning.........poured..........teemed.  That happened about 3 minutes after Poppa left to go to the driving range.  I thought he would be right back.  But, I was wrong....he was gone longer than usual.  Apparently where he was it just sprinkled from time to time and he went into the clubhouse until it quit and then went back out.  The temperatures today are quite nice though....felt warmer than the thermometer said......I think because it was very humid.

Remember that funky sock I had started for Auntie Colleen?  Well, here is what it looked like this morning......

Yep - I frogged it.  Even though the wrapper on this yarn said there was enough for a man's pair of socks, when I got part way up the foot of the first sock, it was obvious that there was not enough yarn for the second sock.  I read their pattern (on the label) and their definition of a sock varied greatly from mine.  They were making a 4-1/2 inch leg, and a 6 inch foot.........nope...........not my socks.........so I went on line to see if I could find another skein of this nice yarn.  Well, I did, but it would have to come from Wales (yes - Great Britain) and I wasn't sure I wanted to wait that long.  The place where I had originally got the yarn was discontinuing that particular brand, so I couldn't get any more there.  So, we made an emergency trip to the Jo-Ann store and I decided to improvise.....when I get enough done to take a picture that will demonstrate my improvisation I will post it...should be tomorrow.

Recently, Auntie Grumpy went over to Munchie's place for a visit and she brought a new toy.  Our little Munchie loves getting new toys and they sat together on the floor to play with it. 

It certainly appears that they were having a good time together...oops...the new toy isn't in this picture!  Here it is....

And I am compelled to share this wonderful picture that Auntie Colleen sent.  It is Uncle Shaun's photography - and I'll post it so you can see the weather at home....yeah sure....the real reason I am posting it is because of its compelling content.  I have no idea where Uncle Shaun found this treasure, but I hope he is out digging for the treasure that must surely be buried nearby. 

Don't Drink and Drive

This is an ad denouncing drinking and driving if I ever saw one!  Hee........empty beer bottle, driver sitting backwards in car, which has banged into toybox and knocked over stroller and then there is the skeleton...........