back deck butterflies, 4th of July parade

Michael left before 7:30 AM on Thursday (7/3) for golfing at Springfield.  He had a golf lesson the other day….so today was all about practicing what he learned…his score wasn’t great….but he seemed satisfied when he got home around 2:30.  He took movies of our purchases from the Louis Ginter Botanical Gardens:

I love them (we got a purple and a yellow one)!!!  When I sit in the living room reading, I constantly look out at them.  They are solar powered butterflies and I oriented them just slightly differently, so they are frequently doing 2 different things.

I left around 9:15 for quilting and took my onion rolls; I think they were a big hit!  I did PT and stopped at the library on the way home…and got home just minutes before Michael.  Barry (long arm store) called shortly after that to ask if he could come over and change my encoders…..he got that all completed and I started to quilt on the new set of dog beds….FINALLY!!!!  My machine sounds like the one in the store…and seems to be stitching like it too…which is WONDERFUL!!!!  We had leftover pizza for dinner and there was a TORRENTIAL downpour for most of the evening….poor Cookie spent it BEHIND the washing machine!  I don’t know how she even fit in there.  I made and baked 2 loaves of sandwich bread for Paula’s all day 4^th of July party

 

and collapsed into bed.

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Happy Independence Day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Friday morning (7/4) I was up early to get cookies made/baked before wandering down to Paula’s at 9:30 for breakfast and parade watching:

our intrepid hostess!

just some of the breakfast yummies

and of course!  mimosas (and coffee for the wusses!)

the parade always starts with the motorcycles

there were over 115 golf carts in the parade....Michael said
"I feel like I'm living in The Villages!"

lots of people blowing horns and waving

and it's always fun to take the grandkids

Uncle Sam on his segway always signals the end of the parade

What a lovely time….Michael and I sat and talked with other neighbors for a quite a bit before heading home. 

we snapped a pic of some other patriotic parade watchers....
this is Joanne (who picks me up every week for Stitch & Chat) and
her hubby Larry (a woodworker who has made lots of nice things
for me!)

Michael took the dog for a walk and 3 of the ladies from the breakfast came home with me to see my latest sewing adventures.  I got to relax and read my book for just a bit before slicing up all of the bread and heading back to Paula’s for ‘mater sammiches’ for lunch at NOON (along with a variety of salads and desserts)!  Again we had a lovely and food filled time, eating and sitting under her tents talking.  Everyone should have a neighbor/friend like Paula!  Michael and I got home around 1:30 and after I made a quick visit to Jan’s, I did nothing more than read my book until dinner…which we didn’t end up eating because we were both still full from all of Paula’s hospitality J.  Michael eventually made popcorn for us to chow down on and we just relaxed away the rest of the 4^th….it really was a perfect day.