Food and Wine Festival

It's a beautiful day in Florida, sun is shining and it's in the upper 70's.  We have season tickets to Walt Disney World and my dh and I are going to the Food and Wine Festival.  We did half of it about a month ago and now we will do the other half.  It's in Epcot and it is a lot of fun. Also, they will have the fireworks tonight.  I love fireworks, but the problem is, I hope I can stay up until ten o'clock.  Also, they have the Illumination Parade, the last time I saw that was in 1996.

On Saturday, my son-in-law and grandchildren will be spending the weekend with us.  We are looking forward to seeing them.  My dh is excited because he had gotten repair parts for my dgs rc.  I will be working with my dgd on making pot holders.  Hopefully, I will know how to take it off the loom.

Have a great weekend.

Happy November

Our first Halloween in our new house. We had lots of children trick or treating in our neighborhood.  It was such a happy day seeing all the little ones dressed up.  We also had teenagers trick or treating, what I loved about it is they were really dressed up, not just a mask on the faces.  We had three teenagers who dressed up as the Mutant Ninja Turtles and they were great.  They sure did the acting for a treat.

It's so different for me to be in sun and warmth in November.  I'm loving it.  I'm looking forward to Thanksgiving my dd and her family will be coming up.  Now she lives in south Florida and about 4 hours away.  I am planning my menu for our dinner.  They will be coming up on Wednesday and leave on Friday. Every year my grandchildren helps us to put up our Christmas tree, with a train around the tree.  That is the only part they really look forward to.

I went to the grocery store, and in their parking lot light poles is a palm tree with a gift box under it. The other poles also had Christmas stockings.  I need to take a picture of it and post it.  I loved seeing these decorations.  I don't know why I'm so excited for the holidays this year, but I am.  A lot of changes happened to us this year and change is good.

Happy October

I can't believe how the days are going by so fast.

 We have moved in with our dd into her new house.  We have lived here since beginning Aug and her home is beautiful. The area we live in is a quiet neighborhood.  I haven't met any of the neighbors here, everyone keeps to themselves.  I still haven't found work, but my dh has been working for a couple of months.  We are very grateful.  I have been taking care of the house, doing laundry, and cooking. So I should be quilting or reading, but no, I'm watching tv and playing on the computer.   When my dd and dh comes home from work they don't have to take care of anything, except the lawn.

I am surprised I am not working, I thought I would of found a job first.  My biggest obstacle is because I have claimed bankruptcy and foreclosure and it shows up on my credit report.  My work ethic should be of more consideration.

My dd has moved about 4 hrs away from us.  I'm so glad I will be able to see my grandchildren more often. My son-in-law had gotten a great job near us.  I have one dd, she and her hubby will be moving to Nashville.  Lots of changes this year.

A couple of Sundays ago, my dgs suggested to Skype on Sundays for storytime.  A story was read to us and this last Sunday we read a story to my grandchildren.  My dd, I live with, kept all of her childhood books we had bought her.  She loved Berenstain Bears, so my dh and I read "Moving Day".  Which was what we were doing during the weekend.  I loved reading to them, it made me feel I was still part of their lives.  My dgs then suggested for us to Skype for breakfast.  I loved that idea too.  He asked me "what will I have for breakfast"?  I told him "it will be muffins or a bagel.  He had asked his mom (my dd) and she said "oatmeal". Of course he wasn't to thrilled with that idea.  

The next day, my dh and I had Skyped for breakfast with our grandchildren.  My dgs talked his mom into making muffins. It was so much fun!  My nineteen month old gs had finished his yogurt, so he decided to take some from his four year sister's bowl.  Which of course was too cute.  My dd didn't think it was so cute.  And while he was eating he would put his feet on the table and I would pretend to tickle them, which my dd did for me.  My dgd is so pretty.  She is going her hair longer and she is getting taller.  It was a fun way to start off my day.  I would like that to happen more often.  

My dh started working yesterday.  I can't believe the place isn't air-conditioned, especially living in Florida.  He came home beat, from the job and plus the heat.  Today is another hot and humid day. I know he will be coming home the same way.  

I had sent out a resume today.  Let's see what happens  next.  

My dh has started a job today.  It is contract work and only 30 hrs. but it's a start.  I am still looking for work, but right now it's a good thing I don't have a job.  We have moved into our dd's house and I am getting the house unpacked.

We had moved in last Friday.  And to sleep in our own bed was the best part.  In the middle of the night I woke up and seeing the grim reaper staying over me, of course it wasn't, it was the shape of the window with the curtain.  lol.  Yes, I was a little disoriented, but I fell back to sleep.

The job that I had interviewed for reminded me of a cattle call.  I feel I interview well and I am not uncomfortable in interviews.  They had said that I would be notified in by the next day.  When I went to my car and looked at my phone and there was a message from the company saying I wasn't the right candidate for the job.  I just left the place and I couldn't believe I had already gotten a rejection letter.  Then in my email the next day was the same letter.  I wonder if it's my age, but being sixty is the  new fifty.  I do know that something awesome is out there, it's just taking it's time to make room for me.

My plan for today is to attack the kitchen.  We have a laundry room to the right of the kitchen and they have a nice size closet with shelving already placed.  I need to wash that down so the big kitchen appliances could go in there. The kitchen will take me all day.

We cannot park our cars in the garage, it is so packed with boxes.  I just don't know where the items will all go.  Living in Florida you don't have basements.  In one way that's good, you won't keep as much stuff.  I am trying to minimize but that is so hard to do.  The house we had in Illinois had a basement and I kept things thinking my children would want them.  No they didn't, so it went to garage sale or for donation.

One of the hard things I have are old pictures of family.  These are portraits, they are not my parents, but of cousins and family members I don't even know.  I tried to pass them off to other family members, but they didn't want them either.  They don't even know what to do with the ones they have.  I don't want to throw them away, I'd feel guilty doing that.  I guess they'll stay in a box and when I am long gone my children will throw them away.  They have no guilt in having to throw them out.  And that's ok with me.

I had gone to my job interview and I should know in a couple of days.  I was in the waiting room with three other candidates and I know more people were being interviewed before mine and after mine.  So we will see what happens.  If I don't get it, something else will be around the corner.

While I was in the interview my dh had gotten a phone call regarding a job on contract.  This will mean he will get paid when the company gets paid.  It's better that nothing.  Maybe it will be a start to get his foot in the door.

On the way home I decided to go to JoAnn's and get some yarn and crochet something for my dgd.  I don't what to say what because my dd will probably read this and the surprise is done.  I will take a picture of it when I know she has gotten it in the mail.

Now the next problem arises, I have 2 dgs, ages seven and two, I need to get them something in the mail too because I don't want them to feel left out.  Any ideas??  I did send them books already.  It has got to be something different.

My chigger bites are getting so much better.  I can't wait until I'm off the steroids, they are affecting me.  I am taking one less pill every two days.  And I'm sleeping through the night.

Weather in Florida is nice.  When you need to get things done, you have to do it early because of the heat and it seems to rain in the mid-afternoon.  When it rains, it does so for no more than a half hour then its done. I am enjoying being here.

Hope to hear from you.

I'm not feeling the best today.  I have looked for jobs, interviewed, and still at my dil's house which is fine but my stuff isn't here.  So I read, watch tv, and cook.  Exciting. Not.  This last week I ended up having chiggers.  Oh my is that ever awful.  Had to go to dr. and I'm on steroids along with topical meds.  I am on the mend, but it hasn't been easy.

I have a job interview on Thursday and I hope it goes well.  There are so many people looking for work and that makes it even tougher. But I am trying to stay positive.  Something has to give soon.

I'm missing my family back home.  I never realized how much they kept me busy until now.  We do Skype but it's not as if you can hug them or give kisses.  My dgd kisses the computer screen when we say good-bye.  It's so cute.

I also miss my friends.  I know we didn't get together often, but they were close by whenever you needed a friend.

I know this sounds sad, which I don't intended it to be, but it is only how I'm feeling right now.  I know once I get settled we will be okay.

At the age of sixty we shouldn't have had to go through this.

Who would think at the age of 60 my DH and I would have to start over!!   My DH lost his well paying job in 2010.  He is a tool and mold maker.  And jobs were being shipped overseas.  He did find a part-time job and had been doing that for the last 1 1/2 year.  My job is a bank teller.  I loved working at a bank and the customers are fun to deal with. 

Because of DH job it was hard for us to make our mortgage payments. We used up our money trying to save the house.  Which we shouldn't have done because it left us without any money in savings.  We made the hard decision to let the house go into foreclosure.  It made more sense for us to do that and be able to save money.  We could of stayed in Illinois and rent a place but we wanted a new start.  And what better way to do that is to move to Florida.

My DH has issues with walking and the snow and ice in Illinois was getting harder for him.  Since my DH didn't have a great job and I figured I would be able to get a job anywhere, we moved to Florida.  We are living with DH's sister for a little while.  They are helping us looking for jobs.  We are very thankful for they generosity.  

I have three daughters, two lives in Illinois and one lives in Florida.  My Florida DD is in process of buying a house and as soon as that gets settled we will be moving in with her.  I also left in Illinois, three grandchildren.  That is the hard part of living so far away because I would see them often.  Thank goodness for Skype and Facetime this way we get to see and talk to our grandchildren.

Yesterday was my DGD fourth birthday, it was sad for us not to be there with her.  We were there because of Skype and watched her blow out her candles and open her presents.  It was so cute because when she thanked us she hugged the computer and be always blow kisses.

I have to think of this as an adventure.  We met DH's sisters friends which are nice, but I do miss the ones we left behind.  My new adventure list consists of: job, church, friends, home, and traveling around the state.

Today, I had applied for a job and I have an interview tomorrow.  Moving to a new state and we are having a fresh start.  I'll keep you posted how things are going.  Missing family and friends very much.  But I know this is good move.

This is what my DD wrote on her blog.  I wanted to share this because we had many happy times

We used to roller skate in the basement.
Play Barbies in the yard on warm summer days.
I was furious (at the age of 5, tops) at my parents for cutting down a tree to build a giant garage.
I loved, however, our yellow metal swingset.
The day we brought our puppy home. I was 5. My parents got her because they were worried I was too shy.
The window box on the front of the house.
Sharing a room with my sister, briefly when my youngest sister was born.
Holidays.
My 16th surprise birthday party.  I can't remember much (it's just been too long) But somehow we all ended up covered in cake.
My dad teaching me to shoot a B.B. gun at cans lined up on the old swing set (I was 10-ish here).
The year they started to build behind my parents house and our backyard flooded during winter and I could ice skate in the yard.
Playing board games with my family after dinner. Yahtzee was a family favorite.
Family movie nights. Specifically: Back to the Future (s), Lethal Weapon (s), Holiday movies
Hearing my dad watching reruns of MASH when I went to bed.
Hearing my mom in the kitchen. I could always tell by the sound on Sunday morning which breakfast we were having:  scrambled eggs or blueberry muffins.  Once in a while, pancakes.
Pierogi day.
The Christmas Santa brought us a Nintendo. 
Graduations.
My mother's gardens.
Building model trains with my dad.
Countless Girl Scout meetings.
Hiding in the rafters of the garage reading
Sitting outside looking at the moon through my new telescope.
New Year's Eve.

Every family cookout on the screened in back porch.
The fact that the elderly neighbor always cut his lawn the days we had a family cookout on the back porch.
The fact that, for a few years, we lived in that neighbors house, next to my childhood home.
And my kids got to, for a little bit, live near their grandparents.

Goodbye house!  A really happy family lived there.

It has been quite awhile that I have posted.  We have moved to Florida last week and we are living with DH sister.  It will be for a short time until we get a house.  We decided to move because of various reasons:
1.  weather- the snow and cold was getting harder on DH.
2.  job- since DH didn't have a steady job we felt it was a good time for a move.

The hardest part of this move was leaving my two daughters and 3 grandchildren.  I know we will see each other but not as often.  I do have one daughter living in FL and that will be a help.

Thank heavens for technology with Skype and Face Time that helps me out alot.

I know after the holidays I will have friends visiting when they come to FL in their condos.

My girls are making plans to come at Thanksgiving and Christmas and I am looking forward to their visit.

So now DH and I are looking for work.  I have had one interview and DH has faxed an application.  Thankfully we have family to help us.

I am so glad we are here, the weather, when the sun is shining it feels so good.  We are happy and I can see the tension released from DH's face.  We have made a good decision to come here.  We will be starting over.  A new life.  The old life was good too.