January at the beach~

Next~

Glenda and I have started packing for a month in Florida.  We have that great beach house with the many steps again.  We plan to look at the other offerings from the same owner this January in case he has another beach house we might enjoy better, though this one is really good...just steps to the sand with our large free standing deck at the beach and a balcony for morning coffee or drinks before dinner. There is something decadent about being in bed in January and being able to listen to the ocean just steps away.  We are hoping for good driving weather.  I know there will be a time down the road when driving that far late in December will be too risky and impossible, but while we can we enjoy the go. (We have already had three snows and it is only November.)  We are stopping for a few days with our son David and his family and then checking in to our January home.
                                                     

 

 

 

 

 

The dogs have begun to worry.  I called the vet today about Winston's anxiety separation issues--can we ever have a normal dog??? The rug cleaners were here and the three dogs had two nice rooms to wait in and yet Winston paced and yipped, paced and yipped.  When we go on vacation he won't eat for a week because I am not there to feed him. Well, he will have to cope because we are going! Andy has finished his classes at OSU and will sign up for more but not this next session because we will be gone. He really enjoyed the Political Science class as well as the horticulture sessions.

I must say Thanksgiving 2013 was really nice.  Pam and George came one day early with Beth, our daughter-in-law who, by the way, cut and broke her toe by dropping a can of Pledge on it, if you can imagine such damage with a simple can of furniture polish.  Any way, she's a plucky girl and went right on working. Joe F. brought a set of window boxes that he had made for us from Cincinnati AND there was a surprise birthday wishes session for me during the festivities.  Beth's family arrived fromNew Orleans without incident or killing each other from confinement in a car together for sixteen hours.

 

Set for thirty guests.

 

 

I hear we are having lots of company at the beach...so, I've figured it out. ta-daa. 

 

 

And then there were eleven...after Thanksgiving for dinner at Lindy's in German Village. 

 

Hot cider

• 12 cups water
• 4 tea bags
• 2 tablespoons whole cloves
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 1 cup sugar
• 4 cups apple cider
• 4 cups orange juice
• 3 Tablespoons lemon juice

Instructions

1. Simmer water and tea bags together with spices for 30 minutes.
2. Add 4 cups apple cider.
3. Add 4 cups orange juice from frozen concentrate
4. Add 3 tablespoons lemon juice
5. Heat it up to a quick boil.
6. Take out tea bags, cinnamon sticks and spice container.
7. Simmer slowly for another half hour. 
8. Cool and pour back into glass jugs and store in cool place.