Monday, June 30, 2008

The Day Before My Next Year Begins

Hello again!

Today was a mundane day.
Errands were run, shopping done, and bills paid easily online.

Already we are losing a new neighbor directly across the street from us!
Never got to know them, they consisted of a single male parent and child combo, both young around 25 and 3.

Sad how jaded we have become over the years; even when the economy was good we live in a very transient state. None of our neighbors seem to stay very long.

I should talk... this is our third home in this state, and our longest place that we have called home. Smallest too, but no kids in this one, due to our sons being grown men on their own!
Just right though; a 1100 square foot little gem for us a 2/2/1 on a saltwater canal, and we have a a pool, and a fish pond. All renovated to our specs in these last years preparing for retirement.

This home had the bare minimum when purchased way back those ten years ago. An overgrown 2/1 with a carport, and painted all blue, now I do love that color but not on everything including the walks, floors and driveway! Couldn't even find the canal back then; it was a jungle back there, no rhyme or reason to any of the landscaping! The house had been a rental for 8 years with obviously not much TLC; the price was right.

We are one of the old timers on this block, not just by age, but with not quite ten years in this home we have actually lived here longer than most! Although, our neighbor on the very end of the block actually may taken that honor, living here 30 years!
We moved in December 31 of 1998, New Years Eve.
Our intentions were seen in its potential as a retirement home.
So here we are, and here we stay longer than the others.
Till death do we part or hurricane destroys the land...we can always rebuild but it is waterfront, and who knows if the land would ever be destroyed; falling into the canal by storm surge. So we have been warned.
We bought because it had been through Hurricane Donna back in 1961, it was built in 1958. The fact it survived was a great selling point in my book. We are five minutes by boat to the harbor.
Fast forward 2004 August 13th, a Friday; Hurricane Charley was a direct hit, the eye, 140 mph winds, neighbors home destroyed,their roof hits our guestroom window causes our roof to fly off damaging inside our home, but still standing with us in it, block and stucco. Trauma. All new now!
Seems incredible to me to think that it was nearly four years ago, but our county is still rebuilding/recovering.
New buildings and homes are still a constant in spite of the economy.

Sunday, June 29, 2008

Later than usual

Good evening!

Today it has been another in the 90's degrees day with threatening storms most of the afternoon; humidity out of sight!
Best reading in air conditioning type weather, in my book. LOL
So that's where I've been... finishing three books in three days!
Back up to my old reading speed. Good for the old brain, but not for the old bones.
All that sitting that is gets an old body slightly stiff.

Must get to the library this week again.
I almost said tomorrow but ours is closed Sunday and Monday, and has diminished/shortened its hours the rest of the week.
Trying to save us taxpayers some money, so we have been told.
You have to have a program to keep up. And we do with a magnet to our frig.

Stores locally have been closing down too, shortened hours.
So sad to see that so many of the oldies but goodies Mom and Pop types have gone out of business entirely. Some that were around for 25 years or more.
This economy and the food and gas prices are most likely to blame.
Depressing.

I used to walk around the neighborhood daily, and will again too when the summer heat and humidity ends in the Fall.
Many homes are empty, for sale or for rent, not a great way to cheer up...

Good news!
One house that sat empty for a very long time had people moving in today.
On our block alone,which is a circular drive, at one time we had over a dozen homes that stood without being loved and that did seem like forever, but now we do have many new people around us moving in.
Hustle and bustle is coming back.
And I do suppose that is grand... when it's been too quiet for too long.

I do know that we are NOT alone with all these things...foreclosures, gas and food pricing skyrocketing... has anyone out there seen any sign of a minuscule change?
All any of us have left is hope; nothing else.

Saturday, June 28, 2008

Rats!

Or hopefully just one rat.
Remember that noise in my bathtub? I should say under the bathtub, in the wall,ugh! Seems to belong to a four-footed rodent; not a ghost after all.
We thought he/she was in our garage, and so we bought a live catcher from our local supply store for such things. We had killer bait, but the thought of it dying behind something we couldn't get to was not a pleasant thought, or aromatic one either.
It is a clever little thing too.
Ratty has been able to gnaw through the enormous bag of dog food, and the two plastic containers that were used subsequently after. and yes it has found it's way back into the garage through the only hole left into the main part of home that did not get that solid foaming. Now the delemma is, we must wait to close it to make sure he is out!
Since that much dog food is too large to bring inside my husband has come up with the brilliant idea of locking it in the car in that now infamous garage! With car windows rolled up of course.
I suspect now it is pretty much a waiting game. The trap is set where the dog food used to be. Hope for success!

Friday, June 27, 2008

Scarey Possibilities

We have been told our home could be haunted, and I am telling you this because of what happened in the wee hours of this morning.
Scratchy noises emanating from my bathtub, but nothing to see with the naked eye.
My husband awoke too at 3:51 A.M. and will confirm these said noises if necessary in a court of law, LOL.
Anyway, before you think I am crazy as a loon I will supply you with the basis of my haunting concerns:


Hello Tobi,

Thank you for sharing your picture with us.
There are so many questions that have to be asked first to kinda get an idea of why you received the anomaly in the picture.
First we would need to know the condition when the photo was taken, for instance was anyone smoking.
Second...is this the only evidence that there may be a spirit in your home or have you had any other paranormal activity take place.

The most important thing that I can share with you is that your home was being remodeled when the photo was taken and there is a known fact that paranormal activity seems to be more prominent or only noticeable when remodeling takes place. It disrupts the spirits environment in which it was used too.

There is cases where a spirit is seen only from the knees up because somewhere in the past the floor of the home where raised up a foot during remodeling. So they are basically still walking on the old floor.

We would like to hear more about your activity and we are always here for you if you have any questions.

Hope to hear from you soon,

Sprout

Scott and Sprout
Peace River Ghost Tracker ~(")~
peaceriverghosttracker@comcast.net
www.peaceriverghosttracker.com

-------Original Message-------

From:
Date: 10/31/05 07:14:50
To: peaceriverghosttracker@comcast.net
Subject: What do you think?

After Hurricane Charley; this was our kitchen gutted.
Originally my husband said the image/spirit(s) were not there when he took it.
Is there anyway to find out who our spirits might be and what they may want? Our home was built in 1958, but rebuilt in 2004. This was taken last November 2004.
draft 7:03:00

Thursday, June 26, 2008

Last night

Good morning readers, I hope that you are there.

We had a heck of a rain storm last night and the power went out for the first time in months!
I, of course was the first to call it in on my trusty old land line.
The reason I know I was the first of all 241 of us without power is because FPL had no idea we had had an outage, and were happy that I called, or so the computer voice reiterated.
The problem was lightening hitting one of their transformers or something similar; they were not that specific only about the lightening causing the problem.
Anyway, it was actually only 5:20 P.M. that it went out, and I was proud of the fact that I had already finished making dinner, all cooked and ready to serve.
FPL (Florida Power and Light, for you non locals) called periodically to give us updates.
They promised all would try to be repaired by 8 P.M.
But as usual they were ahead of schedule, and our power was restored just before 7.
We had been watching the news on our emergency tiny black/white TV radio light combo, which had been juiced up for just such an occasion.
Amazing how we get so used to the big screens and color TVs without skipping a beat.
This was a great purchase idea, after our summers of hurricanes back in 2004/ 2005, but now we are being told with the advent of HD TV in February of 2009 it will be no longer any use.
Anyone hear anything about these battery TVs being able to have converters?

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Day One

Hello world!

I'm Tobi, a woman who will be 58, next Tuesday, July first.
And I must add that I am lucky enough to have a husband, of 37 years; to enjoy this second half of life's journey, although many will say we are way past halfway!
Anyone have any ideas how to enjoy this time in our lives?

Life to this point has been a roller coaster ride, and I have never ever put on the brakes.

We are retired on a limited set income with health issues, but do enjoy family, reading, fishing, gardening, and trying to stay fit. I have volunteered for many organizations over the years, and enjoy writing, and have been published sparingly here and there.

Fortunately, we do live in Florida where the sun does shine most of the time barring any sudden showers, or heaven forbid, hurricanes.

We have two adult, single sons. Who live two hours away in either direction, and are independent capable men. A Bichon Frise four years old named Skipper, a domestic long haired cat of 12, named Casey, and a 29 year-old Cockatiel named Charley.

I have MS and arthritis, and today, I have hip pain from bursitis. Other than that I am just peachy keen!

This week I have discovered an author that I had not yet read, Nancy Pickard...how I do love female mystery writers from Florida. And male authors too that write using our state as a backdrop, Randy Wayne White, James Hall; are two that come to mind. Not to say that I don't read male authors that are not from here, Robin Cook, James Patterson, and Michael Crichton to name a few... actually all of them do live here part of the time.

First day!
Went well I think.
Hope to hear from you with positive intelligent feedback.

Speaking My Mind: Which way will the war go?

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