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Brianna's
Graduation
 In
June, Henry and I attended Brianna's high school graduation. It was held
at the Orlando Arena where the Magic play. Brianna and her Mom Debbie
were responsible for adopting Sugar and Sierra
and occasionally take care of them for us when Henry and I travel
together. It's been a long time since I attended a high school
graduation and it was an enjoyable event and a fun evening. Click on BRIANNA'S
GRADUATION to see the photos.
The
Landscaping Project
We
seem to have more then our share of major house update projects! This
one could wait no longer. As much as we love our two dogs, the back yard
was just bare of sod. All the running around, especially by Sierra,
resulted in major bare spots and mud tracked in the house every time it
rained. Trees and bushes also needed trimming and there were several plants
that died or were on their last legs following winter. So we committed
to a landscape upgrade and I must say things look much improved. Once
the summer heat sets in along with the daily afternoon showers, the bushes
will leaf out and the grass will fill in the remaining spots. To see the
before and after photos, click on LANDSCAPE
PROJECT. Henry keeps telling me that after the kitchen and the landscaping
we need to rest, but I have a few more surprises for him!
Kitchen
Finishing Touches
Our
kitchen remodel project is done, but it sure took a long time to complete the
final work. That's always the way - a few parts here and then take
forever to receive. My objective has been to have all the wood in the
kitchen match the color of the wood molding and doors that were original in
the house. My old spice cabinet just didn't match. You know me
with cooking, the new spice cabinet just wasn't big enough so I had one custom
built. It really came out nice with the doors matching the doors of new
kitchen cabinets.
My
old blackboard didn't make it either. Again, nothing existed that would
be a perfect match, so that, like the spice cabinet, was made by our wonderful
installer, Jeff. You'll see his note on the blackboard. Finally,
we waiting from November until early February to get our new kitchen light and
the extensions necessary so it would hang at the proper level above the
kitchen table. Click on FINISHING
TOUCHES to see the photos.
Sam's
New Kitchen - YEA!
It
took a lot of convincing, but I finally got Henry to agree to move forward on
a new kitchen. Of course, I had no idea how disruptive this would
be. We started selecting product in September and didn't finish the
install until just before Christmas. There are still things to be done
and as I write this, I'm still unpacking boxes!
If
you ever decide to do a remodel, please call me. We learned so
much. Some things turned out well by accident and dumb luck and other
well planned things like our new stove went bad. I won't bore you with
all the details here, but from what we have heard from others, our install
went well and fairly quickly.
We
had a wonderful installer who did everything but the counter tops. Jeff
is a "master craftsman" and he did everything from plumbing, to
electrical, drywall, and painting. His best skill is his finish
carpentry work. Jeff's attention to detail is precise and the finished
product is just spectacular.
Henry
has taken pre and post photos as well as in process construction photos.
I think you will agree that our kitchen is quite a transition. We still
have a new kitchen light fixture to install and some other tweaks, but we are
done. We thank both Jeff and our local cabinet distributor for their
excellent support and craftsmanship! Click on SAM'S
NEW KITCHEN to view the photos.
A
Quiet but Thankful Christmas!
 Well,
if you haven't heard the story yet, you will! Henry fell off a ladder in
our kitchen while re-hanging things from our kitchen remodel
project. He
severely hurt his leg and foot and spent his entire Christmas Holiday - 2 1/2
weeks on his back and visiting doctors! His recovery will continue for
several more months according to the doctors, but he is returning to work on
January 2nd. He is wearing a big clunky walking boot and another equally
big boot for sleeping which he affectingly calls his "passion
boot!" It is not very comfortable to sleep in.
Needless
to say, we were not able to put up any Christmas decorations and celebrations
of any type were very modest. In fact, Henry was not able to obtain many
presents - some excuse! I did get my new kitchen! Prior to the Holidays
and before Henry got injured, we traveled to Mount Dora to visit with Aunt
Betty and Uncle Tony. Henry's Mom joined us. And following
that very nice day, we had a little birthday celebration at our home for one
of Henry's just retired employees. Anyway, here are some photos of our
Christmas day with Henry's Mom. Just click on CHRISTMAS
2007 and enjoy!
Epcot's
Candlelight Procession & Fireworks
In
December, Henry
and I were invited by Disney to attend a reception, dinner, and viewing of
their Candlelight Procession. This Christmas tradition began in 1958 at
Disneyland and was presented for the first time 13 years later at Walt Disney
World. For each show, over 400 performers fill the stage. The
choir rotates between 24,000 amateur vocalists from across the Country and 114
performances are held over five weeks.
We
were privileged to be among 100 or so special guests that enjoyed VIP seating
for this very enjoyable event. During the five week schedule, guest
narrators present the story of the birth of Jesus. Monique Coleman, most
recently known for her stint on Dancing with the Stars, was the narrator for
our performance. While there, we happened upon Chris and Lois, recently
retired from AAA, who were also invited and we shared a really nice evening
together. To enjoy the photos, click on CANDLELIGHT
PROCESSION.
A
Visit to SeaWorld
Henry
and I visited Seaworld Orlando as part of a AAA employee picnic. I'm not
one for the theme parks but we really had a nice day. The weather was
absolutely perfect and I really enjoy seeing the animals. There is a lot
of walking, however, and my feet didn't enjoy the shows as much as I
did! Around the AAA picnic, we got to see three shows. Each was
very well done but you have to get there early for a good seat. Now
nothing is too close for Henry. Despite the warning signs, we had to sit
in the "soak" zones so he could get good photos. "Trust
me" he said, I've done this before. Everyone around us is buying
ponchos to stay dry! Amazingly in all the shows everyone around us got
soaked and all we got was a little spray! And Henry's photos - just
spectacular! Click on SeaWorld Photos and enjoy!
"Sam"
"Sams" Cooking Links
The web is full of cooking
and recipe sites. Sam's Recipe Links
provides a nice selection. Henry and my favorite site is the Kraft
Diabetic Choices site. It not only has great recipes, but it
has some wonderful health tips as well. Please send me any sites that you
enjoy and use, and I'll add them to the list. Enjoy!
"Sam" Has Own Email Address - - Get it
Now!
Yes, I am responding to email. My address is Sam@henryscarfo.com. Write it down now! Or, click on Sam's E-Mail
to contact me. I have to admit that not much progress has been made in my learning the PC. But, Henry checks my email daily and I'll reply to all email with Henry's help or by writing you a personal note the ole fashion way - by the US Post Office!
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