I’ve never been a fan of Disney World, Disney Land, and similar amusement parks.  I get a thrill visiting places like I-TEC near Dunnellon, Florida (near Ocala). I came to visit a friend and help him celebrate his 82nd birthday.  (He’s a volunteer at I-TEC but we met at JAARS.)  Second: I wanted to see “the flying car.”  ~~  Pictures according to content, not by time-stamp.

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I failed to take a picture of the variety, and quantity, of homemade food–spread buffet-style. I didn’t photograph the two tables full of coworkers (maybe twenty total). ~~ I was too involved in conversation; I forgot… (because, age wise, I’m not far behind Carl).

Mutual admiration society!! Carl loves the children; the children love Carl!!  I “cropped” the first picture (below); it’s my favorite.  ~~  We had been invited to the home of Jesse Saint to continue the birthday celebration.  The children made the crown.  They “smothered” Carl with love!! They were affectionate with this first-time visitor.  I loved every minute of the evening!!  We enjoyed hot fudge cake with ice cream.  (The children had fun with my camera!! Not all are displayed here.)

The children had fun with my camera.

The children had fun with my camera.

Mother of seven, and she home schools. A backyard full of animals. Paradise!!

Actually Monday, Feb. 25th, 2013, and appropriate for this blog to follow the others regarding my visit to I-TEC and celebration of Carl’s 82nd birthday. This weekend Carl found this little long hair Chihuahua that captured his heart. Isn’t that the cutest face?  Easy to fall in love with him!! (The puppy!  Carl is a curmudgeon.   Don’t tell him I said that.  He never reads my blogs so he’ll never know.)

I was cold and wet when I pulled out of the JAARS RV Park at 10:30 Tuesday morning. It rained all day and I was exhausted when I stopped at a Walmart in Georgia, not far from Florida.  I was in my sleeping bag before 8:00 PM.  I didn’t sleep well because I was cold!!  It was too cold to get up and find the second sleeping bag for “sleeping bag inside a sleeping bag.”  Fifty-two degrees when I hastily dressed–at 5:30 AM Wednesday–and drove to the nearby MacDonald’s.

I’m trying to get things ready for a trip with my travel trailer.  The weather kept me indoors! (Note the time on each picture. Click on each to enlarge for better detail.)

Actually, Sunday, February 17, 2013. I wanted these to follow the pictures taken Saturday.

Sunday, Feb. 17, 2013. I must confess that I am partial to “my” Bluebirds. I look forward to Spring and Summer when they make a nest and lay eggs in the Bluebird house. I’m always amused by the antics of the squirrels. One squirrel feeder is obscured behind the water container, in the snow picture.

Note that snow is almost gone five & one-half hours after that earlier picture of Bluebird house and feeders.

I won’t burden you with the negative things that have been happening in my life.  It has been a rough week!!  However, today, I had such a blessing I must share the details with you.  I had visited my chiropractor and, totally unplanned, went to a nearby restaurant for brunch.  (The establishment is called The Flying Biscuit and they serve a delicious “veggie scramble.”)  Because there is “only one of me” I usually sit at the counter.  There was a gentleman sitting nearby and he struck up a conversation with me.  He seemed genuinely interested in “this old lady” and I shared my heartache with him.  At his departure he offered encouragement and best wishes.  THEN, the waitress told me he paid for my meal.  “No, no, he didn’t need to do that!!”  I rushed to the parking lot and found him just before he drove away.  I expressed my gratitude.  ~~  Random acts of kindness!!

Remember the 2007 movie titled Evan Almighty?  I rarely go to movies but went to this one because it had a Noah’s Ark theme.  Morgan Freeman played God and (near the end of the film) traced three letters on the ground: ARK.  It stands for Acts of Random Kindness.

(7:00 P.M.) A very good day!!  I arrived, unplanned, in my Smith family tree.  Years ago, I did in-depth research but hit that proverbial “brick wall.”  I could not get beyond Persons Smith.  In 2010 I visited the Dunkirk, New York area hoping to locate new data.  (Nope!!)  ~~  It was exciting, today, to find the records in Ancestry.  It wasn’t simple, it takes repeated searches and then comparison, and finally save the record so individuals are linked.  Below is a highly abbreviated record.  I have the wives and children, too.  

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Rev. Henry ” Immigrant” Smith (1610 – 1648)

is your 8th great grandfather