Yoohoo! Anybody up there?

Summer.  In Florida.  It's the LONG season.  You know how all 'those people' (visitors) claim to be avid Floridians, who declare they've spent much time down here, who boast to know all the nooks, crannies, & details, who believe themselves to be well versed in all things Floridian?  I don't think I'll ever be in a place more "known about."  It's been amusing to travel here and there outside of this state and discover scores of folks  who are rather possessive of their superior aquantance with this sand bar.  Well, where are you NOW?  Where were you four months ago? It's okay; you're excused.  It's just March stretched to November.  The conclusion; we like to see you.  Come again sometime.

Preps begin on Thursday!  Sweat session it will be, but that's okay.  It'll be great to be together!  The Saturday work days are always a joy.  I love to think of workday as more than a working day.  We hope that families with the youngest of children to elderly folks with a smile to give will feel free to attend.  Preparing for convention is so much about our spirit of togetherness.  I hope that I never forget that.
  
A feel good part of the end of the 'worker year' is seeing all of my belongings in my half of the trunk.  ALL of them.  It may perhaps be a little more than half, but none-the-less, I enjoy and appreciate the simplicity of the work.  Maybe some of the backseat as well. 
This year we will be using a new dining tent!  No more stew turned soup!  It really did leak. 

The house we're in right now is a 'window air conditioner' house.  The unit in my room shoots ice chunks.  All night long.  The ice particles clatter and clang through the blades and smash onto the tile floor.  One night one of them made it over to my bed met with my left eye.  I would love to fix it, but have no concept of the how.  The units are not actually in the windows, they're in the cement block walls. 

Dear Mom:  I finally had to cut off the ruffle on the jean skirt.  It lasted for 3 years!  Now, I'm wearing it ruffle-less and it seems to be fine.  It's still my favorite piece of clothing!

Ruth and I made apricot jam this morning.  Fresh apricots are quite tasty!  Now I'm wondering why they are most commonly dried?  I read that apricots will grow anywhere peaches will grow (zones 5-8). The dry season down here would not work for them.  Neither would the wet.

Ruth with her jam.  Isn't she cute!