Daisies visit the Museam of Science and Planetarium

The daisy girl scouts had a fab time today learning all about the planets and stars.

 And also had the opportunity to pet baby sting rays.   None of the scouts had the nerve.  I dangled my fingers in the stinky water, but lost my nerve.   Finally, an older sister mustered up the nerve.  She reports that they do not feel like sand paper.  The are slimey feeling. 

I could have told her that!

 Our favorite part was the birds of prey show, where we saw a bald eagle, the type indiginous to florida.   Apparently, this bird caught the avian pox when young, and the mom bird booted it out of its nest, breaking its wing.  It will never fly and would die in the wild. 

 So instead, its going to live out its life posing for little boys and girls, and teaching them all about wild birds.

Beautiful, huh?

This bird is fully grown, but small compared to bald eagles found in the north and the west.

We also got to see an owl, up close and personal.

Fun times.

Still Here

Yes, we are still here, and slowly adjusting to our new normal without my sweet mom.   Its strange.   I spent so much time stressing and thinking about what she might need in taking care of her, that I have to change my way of thinking now that she's gone.   Walking though Target was bizarre.  But, I'm back a work. Having T around helps tremendously.  Because, of course, life does go on. 

Of course we still have my dad, who needs care now will will only require more in the future.  But he's just one.  Not two.  He's not adjusting too well to my mom's death.  But at least he's allowing the aide to remain...who we have renamed "the housekeeper", as he insists that he needs no help or aide for himself.

So, things are winding down at school.  There are only three more weeks left before summer camp starts.  Hard to believe.   This weekend we have a Daisy Girl Scout Planetarium and Museum of Science tour.   After that, we have our bridging ceremony wherein about 1/2 of the troop, 6 girls will bridge over and become girl scout brownies.  

Since our leader just had a baby on May 1, she announced months ago that she would be unable to lead the brownies.   If you could see a picture of me right now, you might be wondering what letters appear to be tatooed on my forehead.  The would be S-U-C-K-E-R. 

Yes, that's right.   You heard it hear first.   I am going to be the new brownie girl scout troop leader.   No one else was volunteering, and I had decided that I needed to live my life and not have it solely revolve around caring for my parents.   Unfortunatley for me, turns out I was right.

So, I've been working on a blog for the troop.  Making up recruitment flyers, and otherwise thinking about the coming year.   I think it will be fun.  

Life goes on, right?

Its a shiner!

 And growing more colorful everyday!

oooops

Got a call this afternoon from school that T fell on the playground.  didn't even cry.   Bammed her head above the eye.  They applied ice.   I noticed tonight that its all swollen.  I foresee her first black eye in the very near future.

Wacky Tacky Tuesday

Today was Wacky Tacky Tuesday at T's school.  I think we hit the mark!

View GERALDINE JORDAN's Obituary by The Miami Herald

GERALDINE TAYLOR JORDAN Obituary: View GERALDINE JORDAN's Obituary by The Miami Herald

Geraldine Taylor Jordan, 1925 - 2012

Today at 230 in the afternoon, I got a call my my mom's aide that she had died.  She was fine this morning and even in the late morning.  Ico gave my dad some lunch, saw him blow a kiss to my mom and she responded by blowing a kiss to him with her lips. The aide went downstairs to do some laundry.  When she came back upstairs, my mom had died.  No one had realized it when it was happening, it was that quick. 

She always said that in her next life, she was going to come back as a lady cop and a tap dancer.  Said if ever I called my next witness and a lady cop came tap dancing up the courtroom aisle, I'd know it was her. 

Guess I'll have to start looking for that.  I miss her already. 

I love you, Mama.

RIP.

CSI LIttle Havana

So, I'm awakened from a deep sleep by a noise that sounded like a bang similar to the noise my kitchen cabinets make when closing.   I thought that was wierd but figured it might be my old house settling or perhaps my a/c.

A short time passed and I heard it again.   Time passed then again.   That voice in my head was saying something was wrong, but I convinced myself (correctly) that no one could be inside  as my alarm didn't go off.

Then my alarm blew. 

I turned on lights,  didn't see anything in my L/R, got T and brought her into my room, locked the door and called 911.   Within minutes, a platoon of City of Miami Police officers were at my house and a perimeter was set up.

Not quite sure of the circumstances, but one suspect was found within the perimeter.   Gloves were recovered along with his cell phone.

After my house was secured, crime scene went to work because of this:

Yes, that is in fact a crowbar wedged into my window at the back of my house.  No prints recovered, but DNA was obtained.   If they can match it to the guy in custody, he will be arrested for my case.   Right now he's under arrest for loitering and prowling/trespass due to where he was arrested.

He never made it into my house, except perhaps a hand as he raised the window.

Right now I'm thanking god that I set my alarm.  I'm also thinking about shopping for some really strong solid wood doors for the bedrooms.   The thought of only my cheap, hollow, basically cardboard doors between T and I and a threat was not comforting at all.

Needless to say,  I've been up since it happened.

Itch-a-mania

Well, what's new around here?   I've been itching so bad you'd a thunk I'd been bit by a swarm of skeeters.  No just the onset of my first real allergy.   At the ripe old age of 47, after over 30 years of eating shrimp (my mom in no  way liked seafood but discovered popcorn shrimp in my late teens), I believe I'm allergic. 

It all started Tuesday night when I heated up some leftover shrimp pasta that Dot had made.   about 30 minutes or so later I realized I was itchy.   I thought I must be peeling from the sunburn I got last week at the venetian pool, but realized I'm not peeling.   The itching just kept getting worse and worse, and I had a strange tingling around my lips. 

Took a benadryll to no avail.  Visited the doc in the afternoon and scored some perscription drugs,  the itching eased but no right away.  Its now mostly gone, but not 100%.  I'm now in search of an allergist to determine what the allergy is to.  I remain convinced it was the shrimp.

Boo hoo.   No more costco shrimp salad.  No more shrimp cocktail.  No more spicy shrimp from the Sakaya Kitchen. 

 I'm distraught.

Venetian Pool

After our dr appointment on wednesday, we headed out to the IHOP for an 11 a.m. breakfast.  Here's T goofing around eating her pancakes.  Given my shot nerves, we went back home where T decided to camp out in the living room.  

As you can see from the mess, she spent the whole afternoon, evening, and night on the couch's pull out bed.  About the only thing she didn't do in bed was eat dinner.  

We woke up bright and early on Thursday and headed out to the venetian pool in coral gables.   It was built in 1924 out of a rock quarry and is fed by an underground spring.  Its absolutely gorgeous.   This area you see here by the tower is perfect for little kids.  Its only about 2 feet deep, and T had a ball playing with the beachballs that they had out for everyone.

This shallow area is separated from the rest of the pool by a rock island, where I set up my lounge chair.  You got to the island from a bridge from the tower.  

 The rest of the pool is huge.  I didn't even get pics of the whole thing it was so big.  Its surrounded by waterfalls and coral caves.  Out by the falls here the pool gets to be 8 feet deep.

The dark spot you see between the two men is an entrance to one of the caves.  With public school in session, there were not alot of people there, and we thoroughly enjoyed the day.   T made fast friends with a boy her age, and they had lots of fun hitting the ball back and forth between the two and having "hold your breath" contests.  We left in the late afternoon and I'm sporting the first sunburn I've had in years.

I can't believe that our week of fun is almost over.   I'm not sure where the time went and wish we had another week as well.   Not sure what we will do tomorrow.  I'll have to search the internet to figure out what to do.