Happy New Year

I hope that this year brings you good health, happiness, love and everything you need. Happy New year!

Pearl Recycles

This photo made me laugh so hard I had to share. Pearl was helping Stacy in the garage yesterday and Paige snapped some photos of her helping flatten a box.

It has been so busy we have had no time to take a breath it seems, so tomorrow we have scheduled a day to be at home and just breathe. Well, that does include cleaning the house, but you can breath while doing that right?

Champs Bowl

Our second Football game in December...The only good thing about that is to be surrounded by fans that are from Wisconsin, the best nicest fans in the world!


How do you get the job of the ladder holder in the band... Do you play that badly that this is the only job they will let you have. What are the qualifications?

Um, I held the ladder for my dad when he hung the Christmas lights... I also held a Stop and Slow sign for 8 hours a day during the summer at my last job and some times I had to turn it.

The other team that played brought a horse I guess it is there mascot or something. It was a beautiful horse and I don't know how it did so well with all the noise and fireworks that kicked off the game.

I wonder how a badger would have done?


I would like to have a Bucky Badger megaphone to go with my plain black one. I know who needs two right?


Oh yes and there was some football being played as well.

Paige the bird whisperer

I love this photo of Paige. The birds were following her around because we brought some stale crackers to feed them. I love it when the beach is empty for the most part because we can feed the birds without someone getting upset because of the racket they make. I think they are so much a part of the beach that a day with out them there is odd. The seagulls although a pest once you open any food are entertaining and interesting to watch. They make beach photos complete.

Oh, also I thought you would like to know that it was 80°F today at the beach, a calm wind kept it from feeling hot and the rays from the sun were wonderful...So all of you with the snow and wintery weather that I miss so much feel our pain as we suffer here in Florida the day after Christmas.

Merry Christmas ~ 2008

Pearl Sends her Holiday Greetings out to everyone with her usual excitement.


Today we spent the after noon at Epcot. Paige sang again with her school at the candlelight procession. It was a hot day today and we think the total number of kids who fainted was 8 or 9. It was hard to keep it straight. Can you find Paige?


It was so crowded at Epcot. I can not imagine what it would be like if you were here only for a day and wanted to see everything. Toooo many people. Glad we get in free or I don't think it would be worth it, at least not this time of the year.


I love that she smiles when she sees me. So sweet! Hope you all had a great Christmas and that your with the people who love you the most! Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas Eve

Well it is here. Christmas Eve has snuck up on all of us fast this year. We had the last minute shopping for food and forgot the beef for the stew so I guess I will make something else. Sp. K loaf sounds good. I have everything for that.

Hope every one has a great holiday and we wish we could see you all. Well, that's a lie. No just kidding... maybe. Merry Christmas!

New Leaf

This is our new friend. It was hanging around the office window Saturday.


It's body had to be around 3 inches long. I snapped this photo then had to knock it down into the bush to show how well it blended into the leaves. I love that the photos show how dirty our windows get from the sprinklers.


The bug looked a little like a bird from the top. It was an interesting looking bug, it's wings had splotches on the just like the leaves in our bushes. Stacy saw it again Sunday when he was finishing the exterior lighting project in the front yard.

Nine lives and only one left

This has to be the luckiest cat ever. It had been stuck in this tree going on three days. It seems that every one on our block has called someone to get the stray out of the tree to no avail. The firemen here don't get cats stuck in trees down. The animal control people say they don't climb trees to get cats down. The animal shelters don't help stuck cats. We have heard this cat meow now for over two days. You think it's owners would have done something.


Well we told Mr. Hygiene about it and he was ready to climb the tree to get the cat and he is afraid of heights. I would not let him climb the tree, you have to protect your assets you know. He mad a few calls to a couple of tree service people and no one would do it. He even offered to pay. Well after a few hours of trying to find someone He found Joe Doyle at "A Tree Pro Services" in Apopka. He said that he would come out as soon as he could. Stacy went over the let the people who's tree was holding the cat that someone would be coming and when Stacy got over their one of the people who lived on that side of the block said that it was their neighbors cat and they were not doing anything about it. Stacy said they needed to call the tree people and take care of it them selves.

Long story short the cat came down the fast way, after the branch it was on was cut off of the tree. The branch was over 50 feet high in the tree and like the saying goes the cat landed on all 4 feet and took off like a bat out of hell. I guess Mr Kitty still has a few lives left.

Fresh Florida Orange Juice

Paige is not feeling well, I think it is just a cold. What could be better than all the vitamins packed into these fresh off the tree oranges?


We just had to walk across the street to our neighbors orange tree and help ourselves.


The oranges don't look very nice from the outside. The are kinda spotty and bumpy. The skin is hard as a rock, they are really not appealing to look at. Get it appealing.... okay, I know lame.


But once you cut them open wow! The smell is amazing and the taste is so mild and sweet.


I think this is just what the doctor ordered. A big thanks to our neighbor Ellen for sharing.

Trimming the Christmas Tree

Yep, it's that time of the year. Light up the palm tree. It is so odd hanging holiday lights in your shorts when it is 80° outside. It will never feel right. I miss the snow so much this time of the year.


I took this photo and when I uploaded it to the computer I had my usual photo surprises, Crusty in the window with her eyes glowing from the flash and then in the doorway window...Well there is Pearl with her Christmas eyes glowing too. I did not see her there until the photos came out. Our pets are so funny. Can't be left out of anything.

Sunday in the Park...

Well not really Sunday in the park, but there was grass, sun and we were outside. We went to see the Green Bay Packers play in Jacksonville today. The sun felt so good, it has been cool here and we thought the weather was not going to be great but it was a nice sunny day around 72°.


We saw a lot of Green Bay Packer fans, cheese heads and all.


The army did the half time show.


They parachuted down onto the field and landed right on the 50 yard line in the center of the field.


It was amazing to see how on target they could get. I think all of them except one landed on the 50 yard line.

I do love spending time with my family at the games. I still really don't get the whole sports thing. Don't get me wrong I love the Packers and watching the fans it's just the sports part in general I really don't get.

Welcome to the World of Pink & Hank

If your looking for the cutest cards ever, you can stop looking now, because they can be found at Pink & Hank, a wee little shop on Etsy.


Merry Cards
Retro with a fresh twist! This is a set of four 4.25" x 5.5" cards, each with a different design and white A2 envelope.

The set is tied with ribbon and pinned with a button that matches one of the card designs. The cards can be sent to others, but the button, you should keep. It's one of those "favorite things" we all like to have.


Global Warming My Heart Cards
Warm some one's heart with these little snow globes during this chilly season.


Calm with a breezy twist!
This is a set of three 1.25" button pins, each with a different design.

The set comes on a Pink&Hank card with a white A6 envelope. Keep them as a set or share one or two with your swell pals. The card comes in a padded mailer.


Jolly Button Pins
From Christmas past to Christmas present! This is a set of three 1.25" button pins, each with a different design to make your Jolly-Holly-Days!


Here is Sheri's Bio From her shop.
Pink & Hank is a place to find art created by Sheri Berry Designs. Most of my time is spent designing art for licensed products, but this is a place to get to play and cut and fold and create just as I want. It is one of the most enjoyable aspects of creating and now I get to do it here.

"Sheri Berry" is a nickname that has followed me since I was a wee tyke. "Pink & Hank" were nicknames given to my grandparents when they were a young and hip couple. Well, I thought if it worked for them all those years ago, let's give it a shot now and see what happens.

On another note about Sheri, there is a Giveaway for a complete set of this product to go to one lucky winner. It includes the entire line including the Village Paper Pad and a storage folder! Enter by Thursday, December 11. You might want to stop in and check it out at Moxiefabworld.blogspot.com.

Ok, we are bad parents.

We got caught! Paige had a concert at school last Thursday. It did not start until 7pm and Stacy got home from work, changed and out we went to see her sing. Well, 3 songs in Stacy said he was so hungry. I said the same and we looked at each other knowing how long last years concert went. I said lets go and get something to eat, we will be back before it is over. Out the door we went, I had already snapped the photos I wanted and off we were. I felt like I was back in high school sneaking out.

The food was really good or we were really hungry. We sat and chatted for a while and then my phone rang...Crap! it was Paige and she was wondering where we were she was waiting to get picked up...I felt bad like I got caught doing something wrong. Oh well she will have stories to tell her kids about her lame parent not staying and seeing her sing.

They sounded great by the way.

There arose such a racket ~ Just like the story!

This happens every year in our subdivision. Santa comes in and rides around on a red firetruck tossing candy while the firetrucks horns and sirens make you think that your neighbors house is burning down. Fun for everyone!


I have not seen very many kids outside looking to get tossed a handful of candy but I can imagine our neighbors who have grandchildren living in other states awoken and scared out of there wits.


And what about this lovely sign on the back of the truck that glows in the darkness? Don't you think it would freak out the little kids who were actually awake at 9:00 PM. Nothing says Merry Christmas like Santa and a burning scull and ax.

Happy Holidays!

Fa la la la...

I really don't think much makes me more happy when I stand up to take a photo in a crowd of over a thousand and my daughter can find me and smile in a blink of an eye for my photo. It almost makes my heart melt. She knows me so well... but enough about me.


Paige and her school sang again at Epcot this year, she will be going back on Christmas day to sing as well. It was fun to see and see all the people who come just for the concerts at Christmas time. They lady next to be says she comes up from Miami every year. It was a beautiful concert and well worth using an Epcot ticket to go and see.



I did not like Epcot before we moved here but the more I go the more I like it. I could not believe how packed it was. I mean packed! Not to mention freezing as well. I think it was below 45° before we left for the night. Yep, it has happened I am a officially a Florida wimp now when it comes to cold temperatures. Only took a little under 4 years for it to happen. I even wore a scarf, and had layers on. Yep it is official. Wimp.