Reminiscing...

Recently I had the opportunity to visit my old hometown, Orlando. To most people, Orlando is Mickey's Home. That's part of it, sure. But back in '78, when I was in second grade... Orlando was a small town and the drive to Disney took an hour. Downtown was 10 minutes north and our sleepy neighborhood and environs were the world I knew.

It's funny when you go "back home" how things have changed. Surprisingly, there was a lot that HADN'T changed. Like Lido's Italian Restaurante. Still there after all these years.

Other places still there:

The Old Home Place

 How come their kids got a tree house and I never did?

The Church House where a friend used to live

The church I used to attend

I attended preschool there too... a LONG time ago in a galaxy far, far away.

Where I bought my FIRST ever model kit.

It was an airplane and had missing pieces but I didn't care.

Where I saw my first Billy Graham movie

And where I swore to myself at the tender age of under 12 that there was NO WAY I was ever going to sit through one again. To this day I have a boat-load of disdain for "Christian" entertainment, largely because they disguise crap under a banner of "evangelism". Crap is crap people. And no amount of "PRAISE JESUS" is ever going to make it anything other than crap. Bad quality makes the Baby Jesus cry, people.

Beefy King.

I don't recall ever eating here. But I remember driving by it as a kid. They're still open for business 30 years later. I wish Ronnie's NY Delicatessen was still around. It was just down the road a bit from Beefy King. It's been replaced by a TooJay's Deli and a Starbucks.



#reminiscing, #memories, #littleriverband

Photo Op

The former housekeeper's live-in quarters

Abducted by aliens!

At least I thought they were... These are items that have been languishing in my stack of "things I really ought to get to". The first grouping are items that need repairing.

The second grouping are the items that are projects in progress. My New Year's Resolution was to finish them. Some of them have been hanging around (har har) for over 3 years. Bet you can't guess which ones THOSE are.

Christmas gifts 2008!

Even more Christmas 2008 splendoriferousness!

Diaper cover, footie pjs & shorts set c. February 2006!

One diaper cover, dress & pajama top c. 2006, 2008 & 2007 respectively!

Detail of godets!

Domestic Tranquility

The Constitution provides for laws to protect and promote Domestic Tranquility. In the sea of unrest and financial dis-ease that is shaking our economy, it's the simple things that can bring a sense of well-being...

Today just sitting in the March breeze under a sunny sky and letting the little sickies run loose in the yard to get their daily dose of Vitamin D was just one of those simple things. While they ran around and got some fresh air, I folded the laundry...

and caught Dorsey, the Royal Feline, hiding under the settee...

I also pondered the sun peeking through the umbrella...

And the reflection of the sky in the now clean table...

And as I pondered these things for a while, everything was right with the world.

Sunlight, fresh air and breeze? Priceless.