A Year has Passed - Remembering Mom

 

Mom

It is hard to believe, but a year has passed since Mom moved-on to her new and permanent address in heaven. 

She may be separated from us, but she is certainly not forgotten. 

My Mom was a wonderfully witty, smart, inquisitive person who pushed me and my siblings to achieve our goals and find happiness. She brought love to our family every day. 

I am comforted by knowing that she is free from the cruel disease that robbed her of her life, her relationships, and her independence. 

Chris and I miss her every day and give thanks for the the woman of faith that gave so much to so many. Our entire family misses her and she is never far from our minds and memories.  

Mom and Me

We love you Mom.

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Monday Musings - December 12, 2022

 

1. It is Monday again. It is their second Monday of December and there are two Mondays remaining in the year. Important safety tip: There are 13 days until Christmas!

2. Family NFL Report. It was a mixed week for the family teams which went 2-1, with one team on a bye.

   Ravens (9-4) edge Steelers (5-8), 16-14

   Cowboys (10-3) squeak past Texans (1-11-1), 27-23

   Commanders on BYE

3. I set a personal distance record yesterday riding my bike. I managed 24.32 miles in 1h 53m 11s. I have logged over 80 miles for the month on just five rides. 

Sailboats Pass on the Horizon
Jupiter Island, FL
December 11, 2022

4. Not having any interest playing in the 4 PM NFL games yesterday, Chris and I escaped to the beach to enjoy the sunset. I have to admit, it was very cool. Almost cold at 76 degrees. The wind off the ocean was cool. We watched to sailboats pass each other on the horizon until the sunset. 

5. Chris and I took a drive last evening to look at Christmas decorations. Some people really do the lights up in an over-the-top manner. But, I was a bit surprised that there are fewer Christmas decorations that there were Halloween decorations.

6. Another week in the sun and warmth of South Florida and then it is back to the north to enjoy the warmth of family and Christmas!

7. Today in History. On December 12, 1980, American oil tycoon Armand Hammer pays $5,126,000 at auction for a notebook containing writings by the legendary artist Leonardo da Vinci.

The manuscript, written around 1508, was one of some 30 similar books da Vinci produced during his lifetime on a variety of subjects. It contained 72 loose pages featuring some 300 notes and detailed drawings, all relating to the common theme of water and how it moved. Experts have said that da Vinci drew on it to paint the background of his masterwork, the Mona Lisa. The text, written in brown ink and chalk, read from right to left, an example of da Vinci’s favored mirror-writing technique. The painter Giuseppi Ghezzi discovered the notebook in 1690 in a chest of papers belonging to Guglielmo della Porto, a 16th-century Milanese sculptor who had studied Leonardo’s work. In 1717, Thomas Coke, the first earl of Leicester, bought the manuscript and installed it among his impressive collection of art at his family estate in England.

Slowing Growth Edges Out Inflation as Top Concern - The Wall Street Journal

Utility Bills Rise as Americans Pay Off Storm-Recovery Costs - The Wall Street Journal

Ukraine launches missile attack on Russian-occupied Melitopol, explosions reported in Donetsk and Crimea - CNN

China scraps virus tracking app as country braces for Covid impact - CNN

The Fed will raise rates again. But it's playing with fire - CNN

Nigerian Army massacred children in war against Islamist insurgents, witnesses say - Reuters

U.S. opioid crackdown hampers some patients' access to psychiatric drugs - Reuters

Queues form at fever clinics as China wrestles with COVID surge - Reuters

South Korea urges China to support dialogue with North Korea - S.Korea ministry - Reuters

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Back on the Streets

 

Looking North from the Loxahatchee River Bridge
Tequesta, FL
December 10, 2022

One good thing about being back in Florida is that I am again out on the streets on my bike. I have ridden the past four days and logged over 55 miles. Yesterday was a light day in that I only rode just over 12 miles. But, it was still a great ride and the weather was perfect. 

Friday's Ride
Tequesta, FL
December 9, 2022

I miss my truck, though. We left it in Maryland when we flew back to Florida for a couple weeks. We will fly back to Maryland for Christmas. The plan is to drive back to Florida after Christmas. The flying saved over 30 hours of driving! Not having the truck, however,  limits my biking to the local area and Chris and I cannot load up and head off to other places for biking. I have a number of routes and variations that I can ride starting from my house, but with the weather so nice heading off to some distant places is fun as well. 

Chris has become very good on her bike and rides with me almost every day. We are routinely riding 14-16 miles, with the obvious exception of yesterday. 

There are many more miles ahead of me and I am hoping to do a longer overnight ride this summer in Maryland.

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Decorating for Christmas in South Florida

 

Poinsettias in the Garden
Tequesta, FL
December 9, 2022

It has been since I went to college at the University of Miami during the mid-1970s that I have lived in South Florida during the Christmas season. 

I have always enjoyed the Christmas light-wrapped palm trees, but this year I have noticed a different outdoor decorating aspect: poinsettias!

The poinsettias are everywhere in gardens. They are primarily used as border color, like impatiens and pansies are used during other seasons. They are stunning because of the bright red color.

And because I grew up in the north I always thought poinsettias were strictly indoors plants--of course I did; freezing temperatures kill them.

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Friends

Finnegan and Riordin Together
Tequesta, FL
December 6, 2022

 

I love the line from Ghostbusters where the end of time is being described and the character played by Bill Murray says: "Dogs and cats living together."

Actually, dogs and cats can live together and even thrive and like each other. 

Case in point, shortly after our new sofa arrived Finnegan and Riordin napped together. They were trying out the new sofa for sleep-ability. It passed the test. 

Finnegan has been growing into his new role as the primary dog in the house. With Makayla's passing he went from auxiliary dog to primary dog and I have noticed that is behavior has changed. He is more affectionate towards me. 

I can't believe that it is Friday again already. Christmas is creeping up on us.

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

New Furniture - Unveiled

The New Living Room
Tequesta, FL
December 8, 2022

It arrived the other day--our new furniture.

The gray sectional sofa that I dubbed the Great Wall of China is gone! When fully together, the three pieces were exactly 10 feet long! I sold it in one day on Facebook Marketplace. I was happy to see it go to a nice young couple because it was in very good condition and only lightly used.

Accent Chair
Tequesta, FL
December 8, 2022

The new furniture opens the room, displaces the former darkness, and the sofa is a reclining sofa that took over two months to receive. We also bought a new carpet and an accent chair. 

I believe that we are finally achieving the Coastal look that we desire for the house. 

It guess the delivery was an early Christmas gift. It was the reason we returned from Baltimore after Thanksgiving. And it was worth it. We get a chance to get the arrangement just right.

I wonder what we will do today?

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Back to the Beach

Arriving on Jupiter Island Beach
Jupiter Island, FL
December 6, 2022

 We felt we just had to go to the beach last evening to enjoy Happy Hour. And we were not disappointed. 

It was a beautiful evening with the sun setting and the moon rising over the ocean amidst the reverse sunset. 

Moon over the Atlantic
Jupiter Island, FL
December 6, 2022

The temperature was a moderate 79 degrees and the winds were light. There were a couple drones flying over the beach, reminding me that I have not flown Radio Flyer in a few months. I guess I will have to charge the batteries and get it out for a flight.

The moonrise was beautiful to watch as it cleared the clouds and the colors of the reverse sunset deepened. 

Chris and I along with a friend enjoyed talking, watching the osprey, and listening to the crashing of the waves on the beach. It is, after all, why we moved to Florida. 

The sunsets here are beginning before 5:30 PM and continue for about 30 minutes. In some respects the reverse sunset is almost as fun to enjoy as looking west into the setting sun. The color palette is more subdued.

Here's hoping for another great sunset tonight!

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

50 Degrees

Frost on the Grass, Ice on the Pond
Odenton, MD
December 5, 2022

 

It was a successful travel day. 

The temperature in Odenton was 26 degrees when we woke. A heavy frost covered the land and the water in the holding pond had a thin layer of ice. In a word, it was cold. The sky was clear and the day dawned bright.

The hardest part about travel days is the waiting. We waited to go to the airport, we waited at the airport to board our plane, we waited on the plane to depart, we waited for our luggage after arriving, and we waited for our transportation. 

Finnegan at the Window
BWI Airport
December 5, 2022

Finnegan, however, was fantastic. He was very interested in the luggage loading process going on outside of our cabin window as we waited for departure from BWI. The scheduled 2 hour 25 minute flight was reduced to 1 hour and 50 minutes--which was very nice. When I added all of the waiting time and compared it against the actual flying time, we waited longer than we actually flew. But it was still much less than the 15 hours it takes to drive.

It was good to get back home, although we miss our family and friends in Maryland. We are receiving furniture today that we have waited literally months to arrive. And we are going to enjoy 2 weeks of warmth before returning to Maryland for Christmas. 

Polar Express Wreck
Tequesta, FL
December 5, 2022

Upon arriving home we discovered that there had been a train wreck while we were away. The Polar Express under our Christmas tree was on its side and the track was apart. A serious incident occurred and I attributed it to our robot vacuum, which I had started the night before our arrival. I cleaned the wreck and added some protection around the Polar Express. This morning it was fine and the vacuum had completed it appointed cleaning during the night.

When we walked Finnegan last evening the temperature was 76 degrees. Although it was cool, it was not cold and I noted that it was 50 degrees warmed at the end of the day than when we had begun the day. What a difference a few hundred miles makes. 

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Monday Musings - December 5, 2022

 

1. Welcome to the first Monday of December. There are three Mondays remaining in the year. Important safety tip--Christmas is 20 days away! Ho, Ho, Ho!

2. Family weekend NFL Report. It was a wild weekend in the NFL for family teams which went 3-0-1.

  Ravens (8-4) defeat Broncos (3-9), 10-9

  Commanders (7-5-1) tie Giants (7-4-1), 20-20

  Steelers (5-7) defeat Falcons (5-8), 19-16

  Cowboys (9-3) destroy  Colts (4-8-1), 54-19

Finnegan Sleeping in a Suitcase
Odenton, MD
December 4, 2022

3. Today is a travel day. Chris and I are headed home to Tequesta. Finnegan saw us packing and decided to nap in the suitcase so we would not forget him. If was kinda funny. He is getting to fly with us! Riordin has been alone in the house with neighbors and friends taking care of him, hopefully he forgives us for  being left behind when we get home.

4. I have noticed that allowed speed on highways have seemingly increased. It use to be that 10 MPH was allowed, but recently I have become to believe that 15 MPH is being allowed by most jurisdictions. And in some places there seems to be no speed limit at all.

5. It is nice to have had a respite from political campaigning. I had grown tired of the political advertisements on the television and in my email. The final piece of the 2022 Mid-term election will be decided in Georgia tomorrow.

6. Today in History. At 2:10 p.m. on December 5, 1945, five U.S. Navy Avenger torpedo-bombers comprising Flight 19 take off from the Ft. Lauderdale Naval Air Station in Florida on a routine three-hour training mission. After having completed their objective, Flight 19 was scheduled to take them due east for an additional 67 miles, then turn north for 73 miles, and back to the air station after that, totaling a distance of 120 miles. They never returned.

Two hours after the flight began, the leader of the squadron, who had been flying in the area for more than six months, reported that his compass and backup compass had failed and that his position was unknown. The other planes experienced similar instrument malfunctions. Radio facilities on land were contacted to find the location of the lost squadron, but none were successful. After two more hours of confused messages from the fliers, a distorted radio transmission from the squadron leader was heard at 6:20 p.m., apparently calling for his men to prepare to ditch their aircraft simultaneously because of lack of fuel.

Dow Shines as Rates Squeeze Tech Stocks Elsewhere - The Wall Street Journal

Billions in Covid Aid Went to Hospitals That Didn’t Need It - The Wall Street journal

In Georgia, Midterm Turnout and Blank Ballots Might Reveal Who Has the Edge - The Wall Street Journal

Tampa police chief placed on leave after flashing badge during traffic stop  - CNN

New dinosaur species discovered in Gobi Desert - CNN

Iran says hijab law is under review, as state media dismisses claims feared morality police has been abolished - CNN

Russia will not export oil subject to Western price cap, deputy prime minister says - Reuters

Magnitude 6.7 quake strikes off Hihifo, Tonga - Reuters

Inflation may be peaking, but doubts emerge about its decline - Reuters

-- Bob Doan, Odenton, MD

Annapolis to Rohrersville

Main Street Annapolis on a Christmas Shopping Saturday
Annapolis, MD
December 3, 2022

 

Although the day started with rain, it developed into a very nice December day with clear skies and a high of around 60 degrees. 

Being the Christmas season, shopping was on the agenda for the early afternoon after suffering through the USMNT 1-3 loss to The Netherlands. It was a good run, but we were all hoping for more. 

Heading off to Annapolis, we were able to actually find parking, which was free thanks to the business association, and stroll the streets looking for the perfect gifts. The rain stopped and the skies began to clear while we were in Annapolis. Many businesses were decorating for the season and we enjoyed lunch at a local shop. 

Chris and Sue Walking to Big Cork
Rohrersville, MD
December 3, 2022

We could not remain long in Annapolis because we had an evening engagement at our favorite Maryland winery. Yes, after Annapolis we drove west to Rohrersville for a fun evening at Big Cork Vineyards.

It was the case club night! We had selected our holiday wines and there was a party with the members of the Case Club filled with food and wine to both celebrate the season and the wines. We had great fun with our friends George and Sue along with the staff at the vineyard. It resulted in another late night where we enjoyed the company of friends along with great wines. that is the best kind of evening. 

What a day!

Today? It is football and packing day. We return to Florida tomorrow for a few weeks before returning to celebrate Christmas. I hope the weather is favorable!

-- Bob Doan, Odenton, MD