Saturday, September 30, 2017

Things we SEE n Things We Don't See


The big yellow tree is gone from the spot that is circled, below is the view from my car window, what is left. the pile is higher than my Kia roof.



Above is how the street below looks now, that big tree fell across the road we drive. It has been there for 2 weeks, causing us to have to detour.

snip from google maps


Collage above/below is our yard piles...



These are the things we SEE all over town. There is much more than what can be seen. Resturants are closed, gas stations are closed, business are closed which means the people who work there have been without a pay check for 2 weeks, which will put most people on eviction notices.  


The news tells us the trees that fell took the bee hives with them, down into our environment, causing them to lose their homes and people to be in danger. All of the debri removal may take 6 to 8 weeks or longer, It seems we don't have enough trucks/employees to remove it all, and must hire contractors from other states.  They go where the money is... Our area can only pay 8.00 per sq yard removal, other places pay 18.00 per sq yard.

And then the paper warns us we will be in for a long fight with insurance companies, That they still have not paid all of Hurricane Sandy damages which was FIVE years ago.

I tell you this to share what is happening all over five states, just from one storm. And there have been many storms. Bob and I are fine, we have nothing gone, and we are retired with no jobs to lose. Once again it is the very poor that suffer the most.  I can't imagine Mexico and Peourto Rico and all the states that have been on fire for months now.... This is not doom n gloom, but we do need to be aware and to be grateful for what we have and help when we can.

Friday, September 29, 2017

Flower Friday


I know I am a lily bit longwinded sometimes, thanks for putting up with me..


 I have been diagnosed as color blind, it came totally out of the purple.

Did you know a cat's favorite color is purr-ple?


Thursday, September 28, 2017

Simply Sandra Seeking Cool Air..

I was water, before it got cool...

While sitting in AC, I was a PIP-ing along thinking cool thoughts. I had a Cool Party and now I can break the ice for the rest of this post.

I like hanging with you...

Snow more bad jokes, I promise
I like bad puns, and I can not lie....

GUESS WHAT I FORGOT!   I have had my laptop 11 months ago and have NEVER played with the camera .... to many other deeeevices to play with. so HERE GOES.. Snapper Art by Laptop



Wednesday, September 27, 2017

Sept 25th, Irma Suvivors


Sept. 25th, Two weeks after Hurricane Irma, flowers, Bob and Jake. Irma Suvivors and Victims of MS Camera


While Daddy works on the green pool, Jake goes Walkabout
Sing Alleluia, All is Well... Thank you Lord for our survival and prayers go up for your country and your world that you created.




Tuesday, September 26, 2017

Unique Botique Main Street



Lola and I had fun in this boutique, so many beautiful items and all well priced. It truly is Unique. As is this photo of Lola and ME in their mirror.

Unique Boutique of the Women's Resource Center of Manatee 
Address: 417 12th St W #103, Bradenton, FL 34205
All of the proceeds from the Unique Boutique fund the programs and services of the Women’s Resource Center of Manatee. Follow the link above for more information.

Shop here and help others while you help yourself to real bargains.






Monday, September 25, 2017

Mad Mish Mash Moments!



NOTE: for those of you that have been using free PicMonkey, it is free to use but you can't save your work unless you pay for subscription. I did not know this because I have paid for pro for about 5 years. Ipiccy is still free... and fairly easy to use.

Have you ever tried to sit in a car seat and hold a laptop on your lap?  Laptop Desk For sale. $19.99 if you order now.  . Minus the laptop of course.

PHOTO SHOWN is my laptop desktop in my Kia, hanging out behind Publix using Free Wi-Fi to keep in touch with you during IRMA... I can FedEx one to you, for 19.99, the desk silly, not the hurricane...

Do you know your ears and nose never stop growing? I asked Google Girl because the last time Bob cut my hair really short, I checked it out in the mirror and all I saw was EARS....say what?
This Is True
Check it out on Curiostydotcom

OH JOY!!!!! As you age, gravity causes the cartilage in your ears and nose to break down and sag. This results in droopier, longer features. Studies have estimated that ears lengthen at a rate of about .22 millimeters per year. The growth appears in men and women, so it's just one of the many universal joys of getting older.
Do we need larger ear buds? do we need larger Ear Rings? by the time we are 85, will we be able to walk and carry our head upright?  How soon before I look like a beagle?

Do you know how many ears Spock has? 3..left ear, right ear and final front-ier. If you don't know Spock, skip on down.

Please do not stop coming ear often, I promise I will be good....NEXT TIME  What? I can ear you laughing, I know I can...
Madsnapper in MY Mirror

Sunday, September 24, 2017

NY Ginger Gold


I gave up sugar Jan. 27, 2017. I now get my sugar from fruits and veggies. $5.00 for this big bag and well worth it.

My first ever Ginger Gold Apples and they are wonderful.  I love them raw and they cooked up great.

See those big tomatoes? Florida's veggetables and fruits are GONE.. The crops were destroyed by Irma, the trees were standing in water. All citrus and veggies, ruined.  below are two articles about how bad it is. there is a hidden cost in the storms and fires hitting our country, prices will sky rocket.

Hurricane Irma's PUNCH     and  Florida Farmers digging out

The Florida farmers some of that is my Cousin Gary's produce, he was in a prior post talking about farming, before IRMA.



This Lunatic just had to LUNAPIC a few of my still life shots.


You guys are the apple of my eye.  If you saw an Apple store get robbed, would you be and I witness?


Saturday, September 23, 2017

Simply Put...The Pool Is A Mess


The POOL the morning after Irma was, simply put... A Mess! All of the above has been removed, but the pool is still green murky water, Bob has worked on it for 9 days, and we still can't see the bottom and what is left in there.
The leaves and limbs were thick enough we could almost walk across it.  Bob worked for 3 days just removing debris. When he started to vacuum  the back flow line clogged.

Call a plumber he shouts! I shout.. Not a Plumber, a POOL repair guy... I will skip the rest of that conversation.

I started to wonder, Just What is the porpoise in our life right now.

I called 4 plumbers, all said NO.. I called 7 pool repairs, all said NO.. Plumbers do NOT work on pools, but I knew that! Half the pool people had no power, the other half said 3 weeks.

Meanwhile, Hurricane BOB is in the back yard, spouting off about having to WAIT.. He Yells Call Rotor Rooter they will do Anything. I call, she says tomorrow between 3 and 5. Next morning she calls and says. We Don't Do Pools..... Did you hear the Man ? screaming All We Need Is a Snake Run Down the PIPE.... anyone can DO THAT!

BUT WAIT! there is MORE!

My cell is a TracFone that I add minutes monthly. It is a smartphone that works beautiful with 3 or more bars, in my house it gets 0 to 1 or 2, if I go outside and walk around holding it in the air I can get 4. It is only for emergency use, in car and at home when our Spectrum home phone is off line. Which it was.. During the worst of storm and all week, I could text anywhere, but to talk had to go outside and say  Can you hear me now? 

I found the best spot with 4 bars and made all those calls. I was sick of listening to the words, I can't hear you, you are breaking up! OF course I was, I was in hurricane aftermath mode

The Punch Line is I have been so crazy from stress of last 3 months, I looked at my phone and saw the word call logs… there were about 30 numbers, 4 were relatives numbers, the rest said unknown numbers, just numbers. I FREAKED and said to Bob, I have been hacked, there are 15 numbers I do not recognize that called and why did the phone not ring? How did they get this number?

I Raved Ranted Carried ON…. After I calmed down and started to delete them a light bulb went off!

They were all the numbers I HAD CALLED to find POOL HELP…. My Mind Is Blown…Simply Put, not only is the Pool a mess, so is my MIND. 

The good news is I now know how to use the phone, know what a call log is, know where the 4 bar spot is in my back yard.  PLUS! I drove the Mad Pool Man to HOME DEPOT and BOUGHT a Plumbers Snake for 30 dollars and WE unplugged the pool our selves. Now to figure out how to get rid of the murky green water.... don't even ask about chemicals, we have poured a fortune in it...








Friday, September 22, 2017

Birthday Post


Yes, I did PicMonkey with the photo. I mirrored the mirror.

Sept. 19th was my friend Lola's birthday, I took her to lunch and we celebrated her birthday and mine that was on the 5th of Sept. Since Hubby was in ER on the 5th I had a  belated Celebration.  Below is the view from our table at Theresa's Restaurant in downtown Bradenton.


Below is a photo PREVIEW of our fun in a Boutique that is coming soon to you from me... The lady in the shop, saw this pic and said OOPS! you got a bad one. I love it!


Same shot but zoomed and shot from different angle
NOTE: yesterday at my TOPS meeting I was down 2.6 pounds, total lost since January 27th is 49 pounds... 
Mary Lucille Overby McCall 1925-1990
Today My Mother would have been 92 years old. Happy Birthday Mother



Thursday, September 21, 2017

Clean Up Crew!


The above grapefruit is one of around 100 that fell from our tree, The whole Nov/Dec crop is gone. I was in charge of picking up grapefruit.  I lack photos because I was to upset to take many.

To the tune of "Chainsaw/Generators" we did our "After Irma" cleanup.
Bend/Stoop/Pickup/Toss on Pile
Bend/Stoop/Pickup/Toss on Pile
Bend/Stoop/Pickup/Toss on Pile
IN UNISON, Bob and I until we had 4 piles as high as my waist/shoulders.

I was smart and used the grabby pick up squeezy thingy because if I bent over 100 times, I would not be here to report this. It was difficult seeing the grapefruit because my glasses had sweat drops on them that were blinding me. I wiped the sweat off with my shirt and OH MY! that was better LOL

The good news is, if I had not lost weight before Irma, Bob would have been alone on this crew. Can you say Exhausted? ORANGE you glad I shared this?????



Wednesday, September 20, 2017

The Eye of The Storm


flamingo is us, expected path, second path is the shift it took to our East
All day Saturday they warned Imra was coming at us, all day Sunday, 9/10/2017, we watched TV as Irma Raged toward The Keys as a Cat 5 Hurricane, we had TV/phone/internet until 9 pm Sunday night.
We were glued to the TV and the winds were gusting  60/70 all day, huddled in front of the TV, at 7 pm we were told the eye would hit directly over Bradenton at between 11 and midnight, winds to 110. About that time I was in the bathroom and hurt the tree limb crash on the top of the computer room. I ran to tell Bob and as I was saying do NOT open that door he did and went out to see if damage was done. Could see it was large but nothing else.
 The house was being slammed, windows shuddering, so bob pulled my SUV in front of our picture window to block the wind and it saved it. At 9 pm our provider of TV/phones/internet went off line.  Bob went to bed, NOT in the safe room and went to sleep. I sat huddled listening to the gusts slam the house. Battery radio at 10 pm stated, Bradenton hunker down, the eye will be there in an hour, I prayed God if the trees come down protect our neighbor Barbara and her house and our house and the people next door. Guide the tree between the houses.. (Next am, Barbara said at the exact time, she was praying the same prayer).
At 10:30 radio said, Irma is turning to the west, she is now headed for Arcadia, but she is down to Cat 2 and she is moving up the middle of the state headed for Lakeland/Spring Hill … which is 80 miles from us, the storm slid and put Bradenton in the dry side, lower winds, only gust to 90 not 110.
At 11 pm I was so exhausted I went to the safe room, 10 steps from Bob sleeping on the bed, laid on the pad and thought I would die from pain in hip, legs and back from laying on it. 15 minutes later, I decided to DIE in MY Bed in comfort and when I tried to get up, it was a struggle; I had to roll onto my arthritic knees, strain my arthritic back to get to knees and up. I am but she is down to Cat 2nged but it caused my Sciatic nerve to scream and it has been silent for a year. I AM NOT A CANDIDATE for a shelter with mats on the floor. The Perfect Safe Room was not used… We did not die.. is she hit a direct hit above cat 2 the room would be used no matter what.
When it was over, I said if that was a Cat 2 and we did not get a direct hit, the eye was 80 miles away, I never want to be in a 3, 4, or 5 or a direct hit. Our town was flooded, trees, were down, no power. 60 percent of our whole county was without power, most of them for 3 day to 10 days. Our power never went down, we were in the 40 percent that kept it. It took 3 back breaking days to clean up debri  but no permanent damage other than withdrawal pains for me from internet and Bob from TV and NO NEWS.
ob said we have been living in 1930 for 5 days. He meant  no way to know what was going on in the world. Did North Korea attack? Is anyone in Florida left a live?
Our city has not had a direct hurricane hit since 1921, and we still have not and for that I am thankful because I would not be typing this post if Irma had come on shore here.  The Keys and Naples and Fort Myers that are 90 miles south of us took the hit and slowed it down for us.
My friends house in Fort Myers, the golf course is a lake. And they have gators in their ponds..
Our county was hard hit, very hard hit, but not as hard as other parts of the state, South of us was ravaged, and we would have been to if it had not turned.


Monday, September 18, 2017

Hello, My Name Is....




Hurricane Irma came calling and blew away our Internet/TV/Phone for EIGHT DAYS. I prepared for losing water, by filling every jug in the house, prepared for eating with no power by boiling eggs.


We did not lose power, 60% of our city was without power and now 9 days later thousands are still without. In a later post, I will share a few things, but first comes the most important. No Permanent damage to our home, 5 days of cleanup work and a pool that is still dark green. we are fine.

NO TV and NO INTERNET for EIGHT DAYS... we searched for a support group to whine with because.....

Hello, my name is Sandra and I am addicted to the internet.
Hello, my name is Bob and I am addicted to TV with a specialized addiction for NEWS!

IT IS BACK as of 11 am 9/18. And I am WARNING Hurricane Maria to stay away from us. We will not survive another DAY with out our pacifiers. YOU MIGHT WANT to duck for cover since I have TONS OF STUFF TO TELL YOU......coming soon to a blog near you.....


Sunday, September 17, 2017

We are ok

Bob and I and Jake are all fine our city is not. We still have 40% of the people without power but we have power and air conditioning but we have no internet access no television and no telephone except for my little TracFone for emergencies. This is just an update to let you know that we're okay and that I'll be back to blogging when we get access which we have no idea when that will be. Miss all of you. You can send me an email if you regularly email with me and I will come to Publix I'm sitting behind Publix using the free WiFi on my tablet so if you want to send me an email I'll read it the next time I come down here it's about six-tenths of a mile from our house see you when I see you

Wednesday, September 13, 2017

Tiny HOUSE or Safe Room?


Since I am the opposite of procrastinator, when I heard we would be a direct hit from Irma, the biggest and nastiest hurricane to ever hit Florida, My fretter kicked into over drive and I thought SAFE HOUSE ... Closet in middle of house...she was 9 hours away.
While we waited for Irma the Hurricane, I gathered things for the walk in closet safe room. Above is an old photo from 2005. When we added Jake as 3rd dog in our crew, I needed a bed big enough for Three. under the sheet is a lounge cushion like the insert. Someone made it and it was perfect for a bed and fit right under the front window. Above pic is when our new sofa did not show up on time, Bob and I TRIED to use it for a sofa. we lost.

UPDATE: I will be off line for blogging for at least a couple of days. we are fine but facing massive cleanup, at least a couple of days. I will check emails and FB a few times a day. We did not lose power, only our provider of TV/internet. sorry I can return your comments.

It took 2 hours to remove all from the 48 x 71 inches closet. The dog pad is 71 inches. Woo hoo. I laid it wall to wall. Tried to sit on it and get back up. OH MY! OWIE!


I grabbed the bottom and back cushions from the two DOG bed chairs in our bedroom and created seating, one in each corner, a few blankets, a dog bed in 3rd corner and Supplies in 4th corner.

In the pot is peanut butter, knife, dog food, crackers and a jug of water, battery radio. do not laugh. I warn you I will be mad if you do. The reason the supplies are in a big metal pot???

Because I could not find a whistle to blow if the tree falls on the house trapping us in the closet, I will use the butter knife to beat like crazy on the bottom of the pot. YOU SHOULD HERE IT!. Bob has rolled his eyes so many times at my preparations they probably hurt.


Between the bed, 2 hats, case full of prescriptons, charger that charges cell phone without power. 2 flashlights, 1 zippy cup for both of us to drink water from, 2 cups of coffee in thermal, kindle, Bible and thank you Jo for reminding me of that. Loaded pistol, 2 watches, survival knife, matches, candles, lighter stick. 6 battery candles to use first so we don't burn the closet down. Black bag with wallets, keys, birth cert and proof we live here. all credit cards/cash, that is the grab bag if we have to climb out window or on roof. everything in both bags is sealed in baggies.

The drill is... wear clothes with pockets, put on hats, tape down glasess with duct tape so they don't blow off in the wind. grab what will go in our pockets and FLEE by climbing or floating. I said to my brother how would I get on the roof, he said just float silly... Bob said go to garage, put up ladder, I take the dog, you take the bag and the chain saw and we cut a hole in the roof to get out...
To be continued....

Tuesday, September 12, 2017

WE ARE OK

We are ok, we have been without TV, internet or phones so no way to update for 36 hours.
the devastation is mind blowing but other than a 3 day clean up of limbs and the pool full of limbs and a tree limb on the roof, we are great.
more tomorrow

Sunday, September 10, 2017

Irma UPDATE


This flamingo lives on my cousins screen pool area.... Irma has sucked all the color out except for the flamingo. The lunatic and lunapic had a lot to do with that. Color spotting is in the list under Adjust if you go to Lunapic to try it. For some reason, when saving this filter it saves to a gif and must be changed to Jpeg with another program.

We are alive, we are waiting. our winds will pick up at 9 to noon to 50 mph and  8 pm to 2  Am Monday it will be slamming us up to 90 to 120 mph.  Power will go out, just when is the question. I added FPL to my cell phone because they want us to report all downed lines ASAP. I assume that means so they can turn off the power there if it is still on. so now I have NEW scenes playing out in my head. I am praying for Irma to shift a little further west of us, but as it is at 3 am Sunday she is coming here
This will be my last post until it is over.. I will update FB by cell if I can but will be saving battery power on that to. I will post one word only, OK will be that word.

Saturday, September 9, 2017

Top of My Fridge to YOU

What is on top of your fridge? I am digging to the bottom of the barrel for this post. I have several but will wait until IRMA is gone and we are waiting on Jose..

The red bucket had flowers in it many Christmas ago.. my weeding gloves, Jake hair brush, my sun glasses and Hat... Tell me what is on yours please. I need some entertainment to take my mind off you know what....

We are in Wait Mode In Front of the TV watching the storm change every few hours, she will go here there and anywhere.
I feel so loved by all the emails, comments and FB messages you have sent me.

Think of Florida at the pin ball machine and Irma as the Ball. When she touches land she will shoot all over and anywhere.If this is my last post I LOVE YOU ALL! Can you tell my fretter is on HIGH ALERT?