Fostering Dogs

Kathy and I have taken up fostering dogs from the Jacksonville Humane Society for a couple of reasons.

2. We felt that by helping the dogs recover from surgery, or just provide them a quiet and safe place to be for a week would help the dog get through the process of finding a “Forever Home” with a new family here in Jacksonville.

So this week we are taking care of a 5 year old Collie mix named “Eddie” that is one of the sweetest dogs I’ve ever seen.  He was found as a stray dog and turned over to the Center in July 2010. 

A health inspection showed that he had heart worms, and a huge kidney stone.  So the dear dog not only had to get neutered, he also had to under go treatment for heart worm and kidney stones as well!

Well… he made it!  So we are fostering Eddie for 7 days at our home to help him recuperate.  There’s a picture of Eddie below!

Eddie needs a home ASAP!  Please visit www.jaxhumane.org for details.

Technorati Tags: Dogs,fostered dogs

Newport Tennessee With Justin, Family and Friends

Just one week today that our Elvis has left us and we just didn't know what to do with ourselves.  Turned out that finding something constructive was just up the road  in Newport, TN!  Justin had just finished moving into his cabin so we drove up to "see what we could do".  Or, "how can Mom rearrange all my stuff!" 

Steve got him a charcoal grill, and we grilled for a couple of nights...great salads, steak, wings Yum!!!  We tried to not overstay our welcome, so we came home yesterday.  Still so sad to not have to stop and pick up Elvis from Doggie (Grandma) Day Care, but we are ok, and so is our dog, who is not in pain anymore. 

Elvis having a drink :)

So, I hope you take a look at the slide show.  His cabin is really cool, on a lake, big porches and he has wonderful friends that live right up the road.  We also went to his new job, it's really a great place to eat!  Angelo's, At The Point, in a little town called Dandridge, TN.  Beautiful restaurant; it's a big tourist place, plus banquets, etc.  I ate WAY too many oysters but they were great!  They were big and fat and plump and from the Gulf and I was so glad to know our seafood industry isn't totally hosed..................ok, enough from me!  Take care all!  Also, a link below to Angelo's...what a find!!  Good job Justin!! 

Here's where Justin works now: http://www.thepointresorttn.com

Elvis Is Leaving The Building

I'm writing this morning, as I know I will not be able to think about doing it later today. Steve and I have decided that today is the day we need to say good bye to our best little buddy, Elvis. He has had another stroke, and the medicine he is on is not working. He can barely walk and doesn't really know where he is. Steve has to lift him off the tile floor because he can't get up. We will miss him so much and the thought of waking up tomorrow without him is breaking my heart. He's going to the Rainbow Bridge to wait for us. We love you Elvis!!!  Below is the most beautiful poem I found at the Jax Humane Society Cemetary last week while I was walking dogs.  It says it all.  Our little buddy will be there waiting for us and I hope he finds Raider and Katie, the dogs he grew up with.

http://www.petloss.com/poems/maingrp/rainbowb.htm

Family Visit Jacksonville August 2010

Great time had by all.............my husband the chef was the star of the evening!!

Kathy & Marge's Bahama Cruise May 2010

So, the day finally came and off Marge (my sister) and I went to the Bahamas.  We took a 5 day cruise from Jax to the Bahamas & treated ourselves to a suite.  What a way to go!  Our own personal cabin steward (Harry, from Indonesia) was practically at our beck and call & he made the trip outstanding!  That, and fabulous weather - and some great shopping in Nassau made for a most wonderful trip,  and a birthday trip for Marge.  Steve stayed home and had his own little "vacation" - just him, Elvis and lots of steak and lamb chops!  So, back to Jax we go and I am looking forward to my trip to Vegas to meet up with one of my dearest friends in the world.  We were tied at the hip all thru High School, and then lost track of each other over the years, well, you know how it goes, but we are going on a girls trip at the Venetian.  Sorry Steve, but you did get to go to Savannah!  Pics below; hope you enjoy them!  Cheers to all!!!!

Savannah Georgia April 2010

Priceline really rocked this time!  Bid at the last minute on a 4 or 5 Star hotel and we got a GREAT suite for 1/2 price one block off Bay Street.  We of course, went to "Lady and Sons" Restaurant....Paula Deen's place.  It was just ok.  But, we were in the tourista mode so off we went.  Got a great pic of a nightclub called "The Velvet Elvis Lounge"............we could see if from our balcony.  The second day we found the new Segway rental shop in Savannah!!  We'd been wanting to ride the Segway's forever, and we took a private one hour tour.  Private, because there was no one else to go with us and our guide.  She (Tess) is a Savannah native and she whipped us all over Savannah on those rides!!!  They were great...........from now on, in whatever city we go to, we will definitely take a Segway tour.  Oh, wait, maybe not San Francisco.......too many hills.  Anyway, great to get away and by treating my husband to a great hotel and good food, I got my bathroom painted today!  Yeah!!  It's been really tough not doing as many things as we want to a house, but we have to keep reminding ourselves that "it's a rental"!  Ok, I'll stop blabbing now.  Hope everyone is well.  Cheers!!!

We've Moved on (Again!)

Well, it's no surprise to us, or probably anyone else, but we are now "wheel less".  We sold the RV about 2 weeks ago, to a couple from the Beaches area.  I needed to be near my Mom and help out my sister, so we rented a great house just 7 miles from Mom's place.  It was so so great to get all our stuff out of storage..........it was like Christmas.  So, we are changing things up a bit and will be doing a different kind of traveling.  Still figuring it all out.  Anyway, that's the latest on us, hope everyone is well and happy!!!

Hanging Out In Sarasota, FL

Well, we've been in Sarasota, Fl for a couple of weeks now and will be heading back to Jacksonville to take care of family business soon.  I have never been to Sarasota before and I gotta tell ya - I like it!

We stayed at Sunny South RV Park which is a small park located in a residential area right off Hwy 41 ( the main drag in Sarasota) and the owners and people who we met here are the friendliest people we have EVER met.   The only quirk about our stay here is that we're parked outside the RV fenced in area literally ON Doud St.    The owner has expanded the park and created some lots where we get a nice view of the small amount of traffic that passes us by traveling on Doud St.  Weird.

The area seems safe enough though.  We left our grill and lounge chairs out for 2 weeks and no one stole them so that's a good sign! HA!

One of the enjoyable things about this area is the abundance of local restaurants.   Seafood is everywhere and we have pigged on on local Mussels & Oysters at a couple of places.  The BAD thing is that this place is like southern CA - if you don't get to dinner early, you WILL wait in line regardless of what day it is!  

I do believe the average age here is about 60 65 70 75 years old too.  I know I'm a fat old fart myself, but I've never seen so much gray hair in my life!  And like I said - no one cooks dinner at home anymore either!  It's crowded everywhere when it's time to eat.

This winter has been the coldest we've seen for awhile too.  Of course, the weather in "southern FL" isn't as bad as the snow up north, but people come down here for some warmth!  It still cold to us when it's 46 outside.

That being said - Kathy and I would like to visit this area again one day.  We put it on our list of "Places To Possibly Retire One Day" but we both feel we'll have to live another 10 years to really fit in with the rest of the population.


Cheers!