Florida Winters

Well, its February in Florida.  The town of Zephyrhills is literally "dusted" with cotton tops, or Qtips.  I can say this because I AM one, (except my cotton top/Qtip is died dark blonde) if you get my drift.  Now, I am used to slow drivers, beings as how I usually live in NC; but if you take lil ole Murphy and multiply it by oh, times 20, you get an idea of just how many of us folks are here this time of year.  For instance, Papaw and I went to Taco Bell for a quick lunch.  There was no place to sit and we had to eat in the car!  I found out why.  Seniors get a free drink at Taco Bell.  They don't advertise this and maybe its not at ALL the Taco Bells, but the one in Zephyrhills sure does do it - nothing like a free sweet tea for two and two thingys that are shaped like a stop sign, pressed and full of meat, cheese, lettuce and maters - I always forget what they call it but its good.  So we ate for $5 and then went over to Beall's Department Store (another Florida special store) where we walked thru the maze of more cotton top/Qtips who were all looking for a bargain, just like us.  Its one of those FL stores where if you want to look like a tourist you sure can, because all the mens shirts have either golf clubs or fish on them and the ladies outfits consist of little "peddle pushers" with either starfish, or some other ocean like ornamental design; and all in the pastel shades that we cotton top/Qtips love.  I think Orange is the color for 2012!  Anyway, I AM enjoying the nice breezes and wonderful temperatures.  I hear we have tornado warnings up home and rainy, damp, cold weather.  So sorry folks.  I would say come on down, but I think we are pretty full here - at least until Easter.

my many homes

I was thinking today about just how many "homes" I have had over the years.  I essentially grew up in only three houses.  Born in Michigan, moved to Georgia at age of 2.5 and lived in Fulton and then Dekalb county until I married.  This is where the fun begins!  I tried to write down all the addresses from memory but that was impossible.  I started going through the good ole IRS records to see where I lived as I really can't remember!  Its funny how the mind starts to slip when you get older - the "sharper than a tack" becomes "dumber than a stump", the bones creak and everything hurts.  Oh, well that is another story for another day.  Anyway, counting all the Army bases while hubby was in and the job transfers when he worked, it seems there have been about 25. Now these are homes or apts., and it does not include staying with a family member while in the midst of a transfer.  So from all this what have I learned?  Well, besides the fact that a house is just a house, but a home is the people in it - I have learned that about every 3.5 years I get antsy to move again!!!  I can't help it! I find myself on the internet (now that we have the ability to do things "online") -before that it was the ads and little real estate books.  EVERY where I went I just had to look.  I have gotten some great ideas for decorating my own - at that time- home, but I just have wander-lust!  And now that we have bought what we call our "dieing house", meaning we plan on being in it when we die or at least having it for our residence at the time, I STILL find myself looking - in Florida - in Ohio (where the kids all live) and even where we live now - I just gotta see what is out there.  I have been told that I should get a real estate license.  I think that would be downright dangerous because I would literally probably want to move to most houses that I showed.  Honest.