Friday, April 18, 2025

Fly On The Wall With The Elusive Easter Bunny

Welcome to another edition of Fly On The Wall group blog postings hosted by Karen of Baking In A Tornado. Today, there are three of us bloggers inviting you into our homes to see what a fly might see (or overhear).

The nosy fly already knows that every year I take pride in the annual family Easter dinner I host in the garden to enjoy the pleasures of spring. But this year, the Easter bunny has skipped town, taking his coveted chocolate eggs with him. Why? BECAUSE I FORGOT EASTER IS THIS WEEKEND AND BOOKED A CAMPING TRIP FOR THIS DATE A YEAR AGO!!!!

I don't get it---Easter is usually in late March or early April. Who decided April 20th was the perfect date? Ugh! I have never missed this holiday with my family and I hate letting them down--they look forward to the goodies I cook and I LOVE seeing my grandbabies all dressed up for the holiday. I even have bunny ears, for heaven's sake! Okay, lesson learned. We actually get home late that afternoon, but there will be no time to cook, and I will be too tired anyway after the 3-hour drive home from Lake Kissimmee, but at least some of my kids have promised to come over for dinner, even if it's just some Chinese take-out (and I can still wear my bunny ears!!).

As I have mentioned in previous FOW blog posts, we are on the road every other weekend until midsummer, when all travel stops due to the horrid heat and hurricane threats. For now, we're just enjoying the good times with our RV and the gorgeous Florida weather. Peace River in Bowling Green was AMAZING last month and 2 weeks ago we finally got to camp in Stuart with our neighbors who have a huge RV. Talk about a great time! Well, it was all fun and games until our truck tire blew out on the highway home. SCARY! The only good thing about it was the cutie-patootie Road Ranger who rescued us. What a sweetheart! And he loves pugs, even though Yoda barked at him the entire time. Here are some fun photos of our last 2 RV trips:

The Fly got to see this old married couple celebrate 41 years together on April 7th. What a ride it has been, and I cannot imagine a better person than Mac to share a seat with me on the crazy train to Clown Town. No one entertains me more than him, and I feel blessed to share the laughter with him every day on this joy ride. (If you are on TikTok, you can follow me over there under my full name--Marcia Kester Doyle---and see all of Mac's wacky music/dance videos).

The other night, when we were having dinner with friends who are considerably younger than us, they were laughing at the way Mac and I speak to each other. To some, our silly name-calling may seem offensive, but our weird nicknames are the language of love for us. As Mac said to our friends that night, "This is what 41 years of marriage does to you---but we wouldn't have it any other way!" Here are some of the old photos I posted on FB and Instagram the day of our anniversary (around the time we met, when we married, had our first baby, and then some....)

By the time you read this FOW post, I will be hanging out at Lake Kissimmee State Park and most likely swatting away at the nosy fly and his band of merry mischief makers. Although I will be missing Easter at home, I guess the bunny is NOT so elusive after all, because I just found a Cadbury cream egg!

But of course, this special holiday isn't really about an elusive bunny leaving candy eggs all over the backyard for children to find.....So, for those who celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the hope of eternal life, HAPPY EASTER! #HeIsRisen

***Want more Meno Mama? You can find me over at AARP/The Girlfriend sharing some of the best dessert recipes HERE and a list of must-see TV shows streaming right now that you can find HERE Over at AARP/The Ethel, I have a list of some of the best (and easiest) viral recipes on social media that you can check out HERE

Don't forget to stop by Karen and Diane's houses to see what their nosy fly has been up to!

Baking In A Tornado https://www.BakingInATornado.com

On the Border https://dlt-lifeontheranch.blogspot.com

Friday, March 21, 2025

Fly On The Wall On With The Noseeums

As much as I dislike the nosey fly, I've discovered I hate even more his mini cousins, the Noseeums. Sounds like a rock band, right? However, the Noseeums are anything but musical. In Florida, we start getting inundated by swarms of them in spring. And I had the bites last month to prove it because this is what camping does to you.

Last month we parked our RV at Koreshan State Park in a small lot with overgrown palmetto shrubs. Not my favorite scenery but that's all that was available at the campground. However, we made the best of it with our decorative outdoor lights and faux candles. It wasn't until the second afternoon that I started to itch and swat at dozens of teensy-weensy bugs flying around outside our camper. But after a few glasses of wine, I didn't think about them anymore. We had too much fun playing games, visiting the historic Koreshan compound museums, meeting other RVers, and taking our pug for a walk in his doggy stroller (an awesome gift from our son!). The funny thing is that Yoda's stroller has a mesh covering, so while we were exploring the campground with him, several people thought we were grandparents pushing a grandbaby. Imagine their surprise when they peered inside the stroller and saw a small black, fuzzy canine!

Despite the bugs, we had a great time, but once I got home, the itching became worse. Mac was also scratching as if he had fleas (which is totally possible for him if he skips a shower or two while camping). Sure enough, I woke up the next morning with my legs covered in dozens of tiny red dots! The relentless Noseeums (also known as "biting midgets" or "punkies" **see, you just learned something new today**) had gone after me like a hungry kid in a chocolate shop.

It took a week before the spots disappeared and the itching stopped, but hey, we still had a good time, so it was worth it. I would never let Noseeums (or the nosey flies) ruin my RV trips! Anyway, I'm more focused now on March and the fun that comes with this beautiful, blooming time of year: My daughter's 34th birthday, The Florida Renaissance Festival, St. Patrick's Day, and another RV trip! By the time you're reading this, we will be at a stunning new RV resort in Bowling Green, Florida, along the Peace River. By "peace," I hope they mean bug-free...or at least Noseeum-free. Either way, I'm bringing plenty of bug spray!