The UK Buggs visit the US Buggs

 Peter's cousin Terry and his wife, Ann, their daughter, Emma, and her husband, Ant arrived on time after a long 9 hour flight from Gatwick, UK.  This was Terry and Ann's first visit to the US but Emma and  Ant had been to Disney twice before.  They had 12 day tickets and no time to spare to see everything they could.  Peter and I had a lovely time joining in when we could get away from Pretzel long enough. We were able to go to Animal Kingdom, Magic Kingdom,  the Epcot nighttime show, and shopping the outlets.  They were able to see all 4 parks, both Disney water parks, Sarasota Beaches, and Universal's Citywalk.  It was a busy time but we still had los of time to spend together.  The weather was perfect for them; sunny with very little rain. As soon as they left last Monday we had a week of torrential afternoon rain almost every day. It's hard to believe they left a week ago. We will always have great memories of their visit. Pictures are worth a million words!

Happy Halloween!

A Halloween Mickey!



Dinner at home




It's a Bug's Life!



Magic Kingdom




Salute to America float




Chef Mickey Breakfast



 



Animal Kingdom

Fireplace Project

 Since moving to Floida 3 years ago we have really missed having a fireplace to read by, sit around, and enjoy the cozy atmosphere. Last month we took the plunge and bought an electric fireplace unit to be inserted into our living room wall. This project  took less than 2 weeks to complete. Peter started by opening the wall to build a box for the fireplace to fit into.

The first layer cut.

Pretzel loved the new shortcut through to the kitchen!

Once the opening was done Peter had the job of boxing in the hearth and  wall.

Ready for the electrician to run a wire for the plug.




 







After the fireplace is inserted into the wall we found a granite warehouse nearby to choose a piece to have cut and polished for the hearthstone.  Next came the mantle installation and tiling around the fireplace.  



We had some conflict over what color to paint the mantle. We loved the neutral look of  unfinished wood but once you polyurethane it it would darken and not match any woodwork in our room.  So we chose a neutral beige color which we are happy about.  After living with this color for a few weeks we will paint the finish coat on if we still like it.  Jane then moved all the living room tables into the garage to refinish the tops. After years of use the finish had scratches and marks which needed to be redone.  It took a full week to allow drying time between stripping, staining, and 3 coats of polyurethane but we are really happy with the results. Peter made this furniture (solid cherry) years ago so we wanted to keep it. 

Old scratched surface

Newly finished surface...priceless!





Everything is now done...and we love the finished product!!





Outdoor Kitchen Project

Our project actually began in June of 2010 when we applied to the architectural review committee for approval to build a wall adjacent to our house.  In the spring of 2011, after we returned from the boat we had the wall built. Unfortunately we don't have pictures of this process but we were impressed in how fast the wall was done. We had to wait a week and a half for the concrete to dry before painting. Once that was done Peter made the framework and cabinet doors.  Our pictures begin with Peter tiling the back splash wall with the mosaic tile that is in our kitchen. It is neutral and blends with the house nicely. The cabinet doors gave us a little confusion, though, because we tried painting them to match the wall color but it was too much gold.  So Peter used the same mosaic tiles as an insert into the cabinet doors. After the kitchen was finished Peter found an aluminum fabricator nearby to make a hood for over the grill area. After about 3 weeks and a few visits to the fabricator we finally brought the aluminum hood home. Luckily we were able to install it ourselves. We are so happy with the results!

 

Done!!

Quick Disney Visit

We spent a wonderful 6-7 hours with Solivita friends visiting the Disney Wilderness Campground and Wilderness Lodge.  Dinner there was a wonderful buffet with lots of choices. Our friend, Barry, is a part time worker and had coupons to get our dinners at half price! That made dinner $22 per couple instead of $44.  I used my Tables in Wonderland dining card to get 20% off our bar bill. All in all it was fun! then we took a boat to see the Wilderness Lodge...a place we had not been too before. It is based on a Grand Canyon Lodge....quite spectacular!