Mimosas in the morning...must be Monday

The office serves mimosas and donuts on Monday mornings before the owners meeting (which I skipped by the way).  Jo had to sign in and get her second key and our timing was perfect.  She and Bill and I visited the used book store in Santini Plaza then met E for lunch at Smokin' Oyster Bar.  We all have far too much to eat so may just 'salad' it for dinner tonight. 

I was going to put up the pirate boat pictures but when they went to upload, cyber space gobbled them up.  I need to figure out why this happens with my tablet.  Fortunately, my dear friend, Cynthia's, son is an expert at photo retrievals.  He is the one who "found" my missing 18 or so pics from Australia that I had thought were gone forever.  In a week or so, when C's son has worked his magic, I'll put up the  pics.  It will be an adventure for me all over again...lol.

Hope your day is going well and your little slice of Paradise heavenly like ours.

Another Week 29 comes to an end :(

Woke up this morning at about a quarter of five...why? I have no clue.  We have actually been sleeping in to between 6:30 and even 7 am on one occasion. Cheryl and John headed out to the airport around 4 ish this morning; Linda and her sweet granddaughters leave around 9 for their plane back to St. Louis and the kids and the Grands will head out after the Pirate Ship adventure today.

On Wed., we all pretty much hung out around the place, swimming and reading and talking but on Thurs. some of us headed for the Girls' Shopping Day at the big outlet mall.  We added Landon to our outing so Daddy would only have 2 of the 3 Grands to keep an eye on while we were gone.  Landon is a super shopper too!  Thurs was also our Shrimp boil compliments of E.  Jamie and Adam got in late Wed. and joined us for the boil.

Yesterday, everyone did their last minute souvenir shopping and then we all met back at our "home away from home" for the traditional beach pictures.

 Papa and his "Bella".

 Last night's sunset was one of the prettier ones we've had this week.

 Linda and her grand daughters (l) Billie and (r) Katie.

 These are Landon and Colvin's "girlfriends" and the boys will sure miss these two gals who gave so freely of their time this past week even baby sitting one evening so Chris and Kristen could go out with Adam and Jamie for a cocktail or two.

and our favorite "irregular" regulars, Cheryl and John.  Keep watching for those unit sales, Cheryl.  We want you two back next year!

 Getting frisky!

 The retired gals.

 We clean up pretty good, don't we?

 Guess who?  lol

Katie, Linda and I headed over to Sanibel to show Katie the sights.  My parents old restaurant, Joey's, is no longer a real estate office and the parking lot is being torn up.  Not sure what is going on there.  Ding Darling was closed except for the Nature Center and it was difficult to get to the light house to show Katie, but we did.  Then it was on to shopping and all 3 of us went home with something fun.

I may have to go back and get a couple of these dolls we saw at Pandora's Box gift shop for some of my gal pal Christmas gifts and maybe one for moi as well.  Too cute.

We even had a beach wedding here last night and it was such a pretty one.

Best of luck to the newly weds.

Our consolation prize for losing our Week 29ers is our friend Bob, who arrives for a couple of day visit later this morning and our dear friends, Jo and Bill who rented from our other pals, Jill and Kelly, for this upcoming week.  Bring on Week 30!

Monday and Tues in Paradise

 We spend our time either in the pool or down by the water on the beach.  The Grands have just finished swim lessons at Seal School at home and love showing off their newly acquired skills.  We are blessed with Linda Adams two wonderful granddaughters, Katie (age almost 18) and Billie (16).  The boys refer to the girls as their "girlfriends" and the girls have given generously of their time playing with the kids.

 I have a disproportionate amount of pictures of Landon and Leighton as Colvin is a whirl wind and seldom holds still enough for a lot of pics.  I'm heading down to the beach soon where they are all playing and hope to get some good ones of him.

 Katie and Billie went parasailing on Monday and had a blast.

 and on Tues. Billie and I went kayaking which was also tons of fun.  I'd enter us in the senior Olympics but she barely looks 16...lol.

 The Hepperman's doing what we do best down here!

 Our annual "Toast to the Working People" .  We were joined by our Hazelwood Central friend, Marsha and her two cutie daughters.

 Our first really really pretty sunset last night.

 Gene finally broke out the lemoncello...let the fun begin.

I met the lovely Lynda Kay at Owl and the Pussycat today (wed.) for stamp demo day.  We hit a paper store and on to lunch at Bistro 41 at Bell Tower...the food was excellent and it was so good to see Lynda Kay again.

Tomorrow we are off on girls' day shopping at the big outlet mall and then E's famous shrimp boil for all 14 of us.  Friday I am going on the Pirate Ship with the Grands and their parents around 11.  Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr...getting my pirate on!

Walking in Paradise

I have been walking every day we've been here at the beach.  At home, especially in the summer, I am more apt to bike due to the heat.  The breezes here in the morning have been lovely and I have been averaging between 3-6 miles each morning.  Here are just a few of the photos I have taken on my travels.

 On Thurs last, I met three of my scrap pals who live here or close by.  Kim Hodges brought her daughter, Jordon, who has grown up so much, it was hard to believe.  Janet's store, Scrapbooks Etc., was the first scrap store I visited when we first moved here and Barb and I use to work for Kim Hodges, Scrapbooks and Stickers at conventions.  It was so good to see them again.

Today I am off to meet the delightful Lynda Kay at Owl and Pussycat for stamp demo day and then out to lunch.  Tomorrow is our annual shrimp boil and on Friday, our friend, Bob, from Tarpon Springs arrives for a weekend visit.  

More soon.  I am getting the hang of typing on the tablet!