Happy New Year 2009

Happy New Year to you all!

Love, Rod and Jackie

P.S. Yes I know it wasn't a champagne flute...but I wanted you to see the "Florida" and the gator...so you would know it wasn't from just anybody! :)

Christmas 2008

Rod and I traveled to Fernandina with Bonnie on Christmas Day. Traffic was light luckily. Rod had to work early, so, he was home by 9 a.m. and we were on the road with food, gifts and luggage by 10 a.m.

We arrived at Deb's house shortly after 1 p.m. and unloaded the van. We almost had to make this trip in the Miata--I can't imagine how that would have gone. I had made the dinner stuff the night before and put the turkey breast in the oven in the morning. SO, everything basically had to be heated up, hopefully without drying it all up.

Deb had everything decorated beautifully. I lit the candles and popped things in the oven and waited for the party to start! Deb and Jan were in Orlando with Bo and his family, but, were expected to be back sometime on Friday.

Rod took off to pick up his parents, but, his Dad was stuck on the computer...trying to get it to do what he wanted it to do. So, Cody came ahead with her cornbread dressing and a jello salad. We cracked open some Mimosas and started celebrating. About an hour later Rod Sr. arrived and all the food was ready to go.

After dinner, while opening gifts we received a call from the Iowa Turbots which enabled Rod Sr. to scratch another thing off his list of things to get done. Cody and I took a nice walk to work off dinner and hopefully walk off some of Bonnie's steam. Shortly after, Rod's parents headed back home while we made sure all the candles were blown out. Another Christmas for the books.

Friday morning Deb and Jan showed up early, so we made plans to do a movie and grill out in the evening. Rod wanted to use up the ham we had bought, so we nixed the grill plans. Cody and I had wanted to see "Australia" but it was already gone from the local theater, so, Deb and I did the Brad Pitt movie, "Benjamin Button" instead.

Later we tried to get everyone together for ham and fixings at Deb's but Rod Sr. and Cody had a big meal at lunchtime, so they passed. We enjoyed seeing Elizabeth, Deb's friend and her dogs--including her new rescue, "Daphney". Boomer seemed to put up with Bonnie's dog shanigans better than before, so it looks like Daph has mellowed him out a bit.

All in all a nice trip to North Florida. :)

Sunday, December 21st, 2008

So, I am sitting at the computer on Sunday. I hear Rod pull up and a few seconds later I hear the key turning in the lock. A typical work day for him...but...it's taking him a while to get in the door.

"Do you need a hand with anything?", I holler out.

"No, I've got it!", he yells back.

A minute later he is rounding the corner as I look up and I see a gorgeous cluster of red roses.

"Oh, those are so pretty. What's the occassion?"

"You better read the card..."

And of course as I look at the card I realize it's my anniversary and I have completely forgotten. Argh, bad wife! But maybe understandable given the craziness of the past week...maybe!

23 Wonderful Years!

Roger and Richele--the Rest of the Week, Dec. 17-20, 2008

Wednesday, R&R decided to use the Universal Studios tickets my friend Patti got for us, but we had a few errands to run first. (Thanks so much for the tickets Patti) First up was my initial crown fitting at the dentist office. In and out in about 15 minutes. Then we went out to Disney's Property Control for some bargain shopping. We picked up a few antenna bobbers and some sunglasses...and then a couple Christmas stocking stuffers....and finally headed to Universal.

I used the Guest Dropoff area to let them out and then I headed home to do some work. By about 3:30 they had called to be picked up, but, by then Rod and I were headed downtown to pick up tickets for the next night's Orlando Magic game. Turns out the park was dead and they were able to see all the highlights of BOTH parks in about 5 hours. We made tacos and Roger made some spicy guacamole to go with the chips. Yummy! Oh, and they thought it would be a good idea to test out the 65 degree water in the pool--BAD IDEA!!!

Thursday, I had my final fitting for my crown. It went a little rougher than the day before...the back crown was too tight to be able to floss, so it took some major tugging and pulling to get that situation worked out. They feel great though, so, all is well that ends well.

R&R hung out at the house and decided to go to the I-Drive shopping area to find some more presents. So, they set out in the Miata while Rod and I headed back downtown to the eye doctor's office. I had to get dilated; Rod had to get his new glasses. So far those are working out alright...meaning it looks like he is giving them a chance to work this time.

The kids were home when we got back to the house, so we headed back downtown around 6pm. Neither Rod nor I had been to a game in several years, so when he saw an ad in the paper for a "guys night out" he thought it would be a great way to bond with Roger. It turns out that Richele is a huge basketball fan, so, we made it a couples night out instead! Tickets were $50 a couple and included the free beer tent before the game (which the kids couldn't do of course), and a hotdog and beer or soda at the game (a value of $7.50) and an autograph session with the Magic dancers which we passed on. All in all it was a good deal for all of us. The Magic won by like 15 points over the San Antonio Spurs...and the only downside to the whole night was that my eyes were still dilated and slightly blurry the whole night.

On Friday, Rod's day off, we had decided to do the Disney Christmas party. So, we got a pretty early start. Did I mention the car problem? Each time more than two of us went somewhere we had to use the Honda which is not starting. Argh...especially for Roger who got stuck pushing it most times! So, after push starting the Honda, we were on the road out to the Disney parks to have fun. We started at Animal Kingdom, at the newish ride in Asia--the Himalaya's ride. But first we had to make sure Richele was going to make it through the queue line. She started to get sick--hot and faint...but she toughed it out and made it onto the ride and came out ok on the other side. BUT, we decided to head home so she could take a nap and see if she felt better so we could go out in the evening.

By about 4:30 everyone was ready to go again, so we started at the Studios this time. Richele and I waiting in line for the Rock and Roller Coaster...which took forever (an hour). By the time we got out it was dark and we were ready to do a little shopping before heading over to see the Osbourne's Christmas Light display. I think even Roger was amazed! It is a great time if you have never been--it snows even!!

By the time we were done there, it was time to eat and then head out. Since it was still early and we had time to catch the Illuminations show at EPCOT, we took the bus over there and had a great time shopping and watching the show. What a fun Christmas party for a change--meaning it wasn't just Rod and I hanging out!

Saturday, was the last day and unfortunately I had a soap class booked with a couple from Jacksonville--they were fun and the time flew by so quickly. So, the kids and Rod headed out for the beach and ended up getting back about 2pm. I haven't seen the pictures yet, but, I will find a couple to add here. I had made a couple dips so we ate munchies instead of lunch. Then Richele and I headed out to the shopping village at Disney for the last couple of things she needed. We decided to head to the airport early seeing as it was probably going to be a busy Christmas travel day. That almost guaranteed R&R would be sitting for a couple hours waiting on the plane. As it turned out, there was a problem with Richele's ticket and it looked like she might have to fly standby--but all turned out well. The plane took off about a half hour late, but, they are heading back to Illinois (safe and sound we hope!!!).

We miss them already--even Bonnie and Emily feel the letdown. :(

Roger and Richele, Dec. 13-16, 2008

Rog and Richele arrived with no problems from the cold North on Saturday afternoon. It was kinda cool even though Rod wore shorts and short sleeves to the airport. I had on jeans and a jacket...and was just right.



Rog and I stopped and got some munchie type groceries on the way home from the airport while Rod got Richele situated at the house and "conditioned" to the animals. She walked out carrying Emily so that didn't seem like it was gonna be a problem.

We decided to do some Christmas shopping at the outlet mall on Sunday. It was packed with shoppers--lots of the foreign variety with ten bags...taking everything out of their boxes so it will all fit in their luggage. LOL We didn't find anything we couldn't live without--well those stuffed Eyores at the Disney store WERE really cute!

Pretty view of the castle with the trolley.

Monday I had a doctor appointment early (more nagging about the weight issue and consequences of diabetes if I don't get it under control...bummer) and then the three of us headed out to the Magic Kingdom to ride the roller coasters. We saw Splash Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain and Pirates all in about 1 hour and 15 minutes. We grabbed a quick lunch--they have these new express order things...like an ATM that you can order your burger, fries and coke and check out quick. R&R got turkey legs that looked so yummy--but I thought the temporary crowns would not like all that chewing. I had enough time to do the Haunted Mansion with them before I caught a ride home with Rod when he got off. The kids ended up staying out there until about 5pm. and then joined us at home for dinner of brats on the grill.

The possums from Splash Mountain...love them!!!

Tuesday they decided to take a day off from the parks and go to the Beach. It was a perfect beach day--about 80 degrees forecast at Cocoa Beach. The water was cool, but, not too bad when it was warm on the beach. They picked up shells and ate at our favorite place over there (Rusty's at the Port). They made it home just in time for a quick supper of shrimp wraps and some spinach dip.


From Pirates of the Caribbean...Johnny Depp character and my favorite thing at this ride...the pirate sitting on the wall with the dirty oh-so-life-like feet!!!


The plan for the rest of the week is as follows: Jackie has a temporary crown fitting on Wed. followed by the permanent crowns on Thursday. We are going out to Disney's Property Control to get some good deals on Christmas presents for Richele. Then R&R are going out to Universal Studios thanks to Patti and Tim who traded some tickets with us. Thursday Rod and I have eye doctor business in the afternoon so we will probably hang out at the pool or such and then we are going to an Orlando Magic ballgame. Friday all day the four of us plan to do the Disney Christmas party and hopefully stay long enough to see the Christmas light display at the Studio. Can't wait for that. We will probably just sleep in on Saturday, have a big breakfast and then try to get them to the plane on time! Wish us luck and STAMINA!!!

Life... December, 13, 2008

So you know that commercial for an insurance company where the announcer (that actor from "The Unit") says something like, "Life, it comes at you quick"? Well, life in the Turbot household has been like that this week.

First you may remember, we are recovering from the Power Surge that occured on Oct. 19th. No news on a dollar amount from the power company yet, but, we are hopeful they will be generous. Ha!!


Then, of course you know it is Christmas, so we are all spending a bit of money making sure it is merry and bright for everyone around us.


I decided to get those two new crowns while we have good dental insurance despite still paying off the new windows....argh...what is wrong with us????



Well, then the van brakes go out...actually it feels like the whole braking system went out with a $800 estimate to get it back in working order. UNTIL, the mechanic calls and says another part is bad but OOPS they don't make it anymore. Well, after all it IS a 1994 vehicle...I guess they have to quit making parts at some point! So, now we are hoping they find a used "dampener" from the master cylinder to get it back to us sometime before my shows start back in January.

Will Jackie's van be stuck under the Fire and Ice Roller Coaster FOREVER?

BUT, the saga isn't over yet. We have company coming. My nephew, Roger, and his girlfriend, Richele are due to fly in today and we have to have a vehicle to fit them and their luggage. Now, you would think that someone who has THREE cars would have one that might fit the bill, right?!?! Certainly...but not the Miata! Maybe that little Honda Hatchback that has been sitting in the driveway for 6 months not running?!


SO, off to that mechanic again to get the clutch and brakes fixed on the little Honda. What could that cost...hmmmm....my guess was $600-700. BUT NO!!! Let's double that amount and then add a few hundred dollars more...and Viola!! A car that runs. Well, don't count the speedometer cable that sounds as if we have a crew of gerbils running under the hood keeping tabs of the speed. LOL


Rod has reminded me MANY TIMES today that we are lucky...or rather that one day our luck will return. I am trying so hard to "secret" our good luck back. Would you all please cross a finger or two, say a prayer, rub some beads or do anything to send good vibes our way???

So, one interesting thing did happen on the walk back from the mechanic. (Rod and I decided to take Bonnie with us so this became our Friday morning walk.) As we crossed over Turkey Lake Road, we heard a siren in the distance. It comes roaring up behind us in pursuit of a camero. Rod said he bet the camero was stolen and we got to see the cop pull his Glock on the guy and drag him out of the car! Fun stuff. One of the neighbors was walking his grandson in a stroller and we met up with him a couple seconds later. He said he was ready to hide behind a tree when he saw the gun pulled!!

Soap Cyber Monday, December 8, 2008

When I got home from Tally on Sunday night I had to hump it to get the van unloaded so I could see what soaps I wanted to put up on Special for my new Cyber Monday. Instead of using the Monday after Thanksgiving like the big retailers, I decided to do the Monday after my last show of the season!

Some new end piece samplers I put together for Cyber Monday.

So, I stayed up until 2 a.m. getting all the buy buttons and descriptions on the website. From the results, I will be doing this every year. Let's just hope the Post Office Click-N-Ship website doesn't act up like it did on Monday. I would have gotten most of the boxes out then if it had cooperated. BUT, instead by the next day, it was behaving well enough that with a couple bad words I was able to get them all out the door before my poor mailman showed up. He had a full mailbox, a bag of Priority Mail envelopes hanging from the mailbox post and a stack of boxes sitting underneath to pick up!

I also pulled out my eye pillow fabrics--nice, soft flannels to sit over your eyes. I need to make some up as I am about out of the ones I made a couple years ago. I only have the yellow check ones left...and with all these fabrics to choose from, I am itching to make some more. I also had a male customer suggest that I make a pillow case type cover and not the sewn on cover like I have been doing for years. That way if the cover gets dirty, you can throw it in the wash instead of having to throw the whole thing out. GREAT idea...I should have thought of that.

And tonight, Rod and I decorated--yes, he was actually up when I decorated for maybe the first time ever! So, he got to put the tree topper on and hang some of the upper level ornaments I couldn't reach. It was fun saying "Hi" to some of those ornaments I haven't see in a couple years. With my soap business taking precedence over decorating the last couple of years, we just didn't get around to putting up the Christmas stuff. This year with my nephew coming with his girlfriend--we had to get busy and get it done. So, now we are ready...almost.

I got a new Bissell Steam Mop to help with the floors--I like it a lot. So, I guess the only other thing left to do is CLEAN. I have a lot of de-junking to do before I can get to the cleaning part, but, I will get it done before Friday.

Tomorrow I am going to the dentist to get the preliminary work done on two new crowns. Three hours in the dentist chair...oh my!!! And thank God for insurance.

Tallahassee Market Days, December 6 & 7, 2008

I headed up to Tallahassee in the cold. Yep, all of about 50 degrees in Orlando while I was loading. :)

This is my big show of the Fall, so I was worried about the show given how the shows so far have gone. I am happy to say my worries were unfounded. It turned out better than last year by a "buck twenty" or so!!

I set up Friday and then headed over to Bldg 9. to see if my friend Jo was around. From the looks of things she was there and gone already. SO, it was a fast food dinner and a movie in the hotel room for me. I had a little work to do to get ready for Saturday, but, I enjoyed a DVD called, The Amateurs (aka The Moguls on IMDB). It was great--William Fitchner, Jeff Bridges and Ted Danson--small town yokels who are tired of being broke who set out to make a porno to make their dreams come true. LOL The story of how the locals pool their money and resources to make the movie is...unique. The story of what ends up happening is moralistic and heartwarming.

Saturday and Sunday were about as expected traffic-wise--at times hopping and at times a ghost town. BUT, the difference between this show and many others is that this IS the shopping event of the season for the area. People come from Alabama, Georgia and from all around Florida to SPEND MONEY. They did it again this year--thank you Tallahassee.

Saturday night I went to dinner with my soaper friend, Risa and her family. It has become a tradition for us. Along with trying to get my Holiday shopping done. I didn't make it this time however.

I did a little shopping for ME, ME, and ME. LOL I didn't honestly start out that way. BUT, my jeweler friend who was selling out of part of her stock got me. I was gonna get something for my nephew's girlfriend for Christmas, but, there was nothing that would work for her. SO I traded soap for a cool coral necklace.

Same with my sculptor friend, Haydn. His gang of characters really talk to me--especially since I have now inspired him to make a soap dish too! LOL I am right next to him all weekend so I have plenty of time to make a selection. So, I have a new guy for Josephina to talk to now...as you can see from the picture.

I planned on getting something from the metal people too...but I just didn't find the perfect thing this time. I will see them again at Springtime Tallahassee in March. SO, instead I found something for the dining room. :) The angle of this picture looking up toward the ceiling to fit it all in is weird, but, you get the idea. I found the long narrow wall pocket at the potter just down from me.

The drive back was made a little exciting by my brakes starting to go out. I still had plenty of pressure, but, boy were they grinding. Come to find out that the driver side front caliper was frozen and was doing a number on the rotor. When we took it to the shop, the mechanic recommended doing both sides at one time...even though the left side was ok for the time being. AND, just to make sure the back end of the van got something...he found a leak in the cylinder on one of the back brake lines. Oh joy...there goes $800 of my profits!!!

Dining Room Remodel complete! December 3, 2008

Eve dropped off my new switchplate covers today! Here's the finished products and the last little touch (maybe!) in the dining room. She modeled them after a picture I googled of some old botanical drawings. Boy is she good!!!! Her website is http://www.evesilverbach.com/

She even fixed the window I had bought at Oviedo's Great Day in the Country--the one that got tipped over and three of the six panes broke. I picture this in my future shop one day.... Didn't she do a great job on this too!???

Gainesville O'Connell Center Craft Show, November 29 & 30, 2008

Gainesville this weekend rocked! I was down on the floor again and load in at 4 pm on Friday went smoothly. I was done before 6 pm and headed to the Red Roof Inn and unpacked before heading out to dinner. I was meeting Dave who I used to work with at the vet clinic. He is now 30--he was 19 when he worked in the kennel at the clinic! Time flies. The fly on the wall says he will be getting engaged to his girlfriend this Christmas. He brought Heather with him to dinner and she is lovely--pretty and smart. They make a great pair!

Saturday, the show was really busy. I am pretty sure I benefitted with the Two Sisters soap company (actually I am not sure of the name, but, it was Suzy and Susan who ran it!) being out of business. I gave out lots of samples to their old customers and hope I can sway some of them to start buying from me. Cross fingers. Our soap is similiar...we used to trade soaps back in the day. The show was over at 6 pm--way too late for a craft show. We were slow by 3 pm and by 4 pm it was vendors only shopping!

I had dinner at the Bonefish Grill. Actually I had a mojito there and took out a couple appetizers for dinner! Yummy!! Once back at the hotel I settled in to watch a movie on HBO...when my glasses broke. Dang it. It's lucky that I hadn't ordered new contact lens after my appointment on Tuesday.

Sunday morning I was up early and watched a movie on HBO before getting ready for the show. The show started at 10am and at about 9:30 I locked my keys in the car and unfortunately my spare key was locked in the car in my purse! Oh CRAP. I called AAA for a key assist and made it to the show about 11:15. Several of my craft buddies were worried, but, aside from being soaked from the rain, I was fine. I wonder how many sales I lost in that hour plus?

The show Sunday was slower than Saturday, but, when my receipts were all counted up Sunday night, I ended up having the best show ever at the O'Connell Center. Yippee! Thanks to you all! The trip back to Orlando was miserable. The pack out went smoothly...luckily. But any time I saved during load up was lost in the two hour and forty five minute trip home. Yuck.

One more show to go!!!!

Thanksgiving 2008

Rod and I stayed home this year and had a quiet little dinner. I tried to talk him into letting us go to Cracker Barrell. I about had him, when he decided he would miss the leftovers too much!

He followed me around with the camera taking pictures to document the day. It turned out good--we had a 5# bone in turkey breast and all the fixings. Yummy!