Showing posts with label camping. Show all posts
Showing posts with label camping. Show all posts

Friday, March 20, 2026

Fly On The Wall With A Side Piece

Welcome to another edition of Fly On The Wall group blog postings hosted by Karen of Baking In A Tornado. Today, three of us are welcoming you into our homes to see what a fly night see---or overhear!



Oh, how I love the month of March! There are so many fun activities going on in the spring, and the weather is still "doable" in South Florida. This is the month of the Florida Ren-Fest along with my daughter's birthday,
and, of course, one of my favorite holidays--St. Patrick's Day! 


This is also the best time of year for us to go camping, so we've been exploring more state parks and RV resorts---we go about every two weeks now. And after 21 trips, Yoda has become a pro at traveling. 

We will keep up this pace until mid-July, when things start to really heat up, and the vampirish mosquitoes become relentless. Although last week at Sebastian Inlet State Park, the no-see-ums were out again! Of course, that was nothing compared to the alligator that tried to sneak up on us while we sat in chairs by the inlet to watch the sunset. I've never seen my husband move so quickly! Being the curious sort, I walked right over to the mangroves to find the gator, and I thought Hubs was going to have a heart attack. He wanted to "protect" me, but the gator slipped back under the water, and I continued to sip my wine and watch the sunset. No way will I let anything spoil my camping trips!!



The nosy fly was not amused by my antics, but he did listen in on our conversations......




"Hey, remember that time I applied my foundation to your face?"
"How could I forget? It was a disaster."
"You had spots all over your skin from working in the sun. I was trying to hide your imperfections."
"You'd have to chop off my entire head to do that."



"This berry-flavored energy drink is awful." 
"No, it's not. It tastes good, like a berry snow cone."
"Yeah, a snow cone laced with berry cough syrup."



"Why does your phone keep going off with texts from work?'
"My new boss has questions."
"I think you must have a girlfriend-----a side piece." 
"Nope---you're my only side piece... you're also my front piece and my back piece."
"I'm not sure what that means---especially the 'back piece', but I hope it's a compliment."



"It's fine if we leave leftover champagne in the fridge. We have a rubber stopper for it."
"What leftovers? Too bad we don't have a stopper for our mouths. "




"What do you mean you want me to touch you more often? I touch you all the time. "
"Yeah, but it's usually when you're wiping something gross on me. "



"I loved seesaws and merry-go-rounds when I was a kid. The faster the better!"
"Seesaws are the reason I have trust issues." 


"You should've gone to church with me this morning to get your forehead smudged for Ash
Wednesday." 
"What's the point of it?"
"It's a symbol of human mortality, a preparation for Easter, and repentance---plus asking for mercy for your past sins."
"Then they'd better cover my whole face in ashes. "



"Hey, can you grab that bottle of aspirin out of my purse?"
"Um, how do I know this isn't a trick? Your purse is a giant, black hole of junk. For all I know, there could be a torpedo in there just waiting to blow up when I open it."
"Because torpedoes are too big....but a grenade would fit..."


"How is it possible that you've never seen the movie, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang?
"I'm from a small farming community. We only had one movie theater in the 1970s, and it was still playing black and white movies without sound."
"Well, you really missed out on something. I'm going to find Chitty Chitty Bang Bang for you to watch so we can relive my childhood." 
"I live that every day with your child-like brain."



"These spare ribs are delicious but extra fatty."
"Well.... they say you are what you eat...."
"Yeah, but I'm still your favorite side piece..."



We're off again next week on a camping trip with the neighbors, and then later on heading to North Florida. Hopefully, there won't be any no-see-ums or gators this time, but at least I'll have my side piece (or my back piece?) to protect me. 


***WANT MORE MENO MAMA?*** Over at AARP/The Girlfriend, I share 4 of the easiest and budget-friendly dinners ever that you can find HERE  Then I have one about the 4 things you should be doing for your dog that you can read HERE I also have an essay in AARP titled, "Things I Do To Strengthen My Relationship With My Adult Kids" which you can read HERE, or of that doesn't work  (the main site links gets wonky sometimes), type in the title on the website and it should come up. 


Hop on over to Karen and Diane's house to see what the nosy fly has been up to over there!


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

                               

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


 

Friday, February 21, 2025

Fly On The Wall In Love

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 fly has been very happy during this month of love at our home. We had a sweet, romantic Valentine's Day dinner out, and as fun as it was, that wasn't the BEST part of the celebration.....because I have news..... I'M A GRANDMOTHER AGAIN!!! Grandbaby number #5 was born 2 weeks ago to my oldest son and daughter-in-law. Sweet Rory is the cutest little girl, rounding out the family now with 2 grandsons and 3 granddaughters between my oldest daughter's family and my oldest son's family. We are in love!

Another reason for the feelings of deep gratitude and love is due to a little health scare I faced (but I'm fine now, I promise!) and then a nasty tumor that showed up 2 months ago on my precious pug. You may recall that I lost 2 other pugs to cancer (which was emotionally devastating) but this time I educated myself on the best protocol (first surgery, then oncology appointments, and then a 100% switch to holistic treatments as well as my organic, home-cooked meals and supplements) and our fur baby is now cancer free... and THRIVING! Hopefully he will be wth us for many more years. I have made it my mission to help other pet parents now who are dealing with MCTs, so if you need treatment advice and resources, hit me up!

 

As usual, we like to fill our weekends with lots of family time and hanging with our friends---it's nice to have something to look forward to on a regular basis. Of course, the RV season has begun for us again so each month we will be parking Lucy at a new site. In fact, by the time you read this, we will be donning our traditional  "camp muumuus" and enjoying a game of cards by the firepit at Koreshan State Park on Florida's west coast. I live for these mini vacations!!


The only downside to this month was the Chiefs losing their 3-peat chance at the Super Bowl when they were slaughtered by the Eagles. OUCH. But many of my friends are Eagles fans, so I can't be too mad....right?


So while the fly is still buzzing around my box of Valentine's chocolates (shoo fly, SHOO!), I'll end my post with some of this month's photos. 


Hope y'all had a great "lover's holiday" and I'll see you next month with my nosy, winged companion (and no, I'm not talking about Mac). As always, be humble, be grateful!


WANT MORE MENO MAMA?? If you're looking for an easy weeknight dinner recipe, check out my latest food feature for AARP/The Girlfriend HERE  If you want some yummy crockpot dinner ideas to warm you up during this chilly season, I have another featured foodie piece at AARP/The Ethel HERE

Now check out Karen and Diane's houses to see what that pesky fly has been up to!

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

                               

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




Friday, January 24, 2025

Fly On The Wall Freezing In Florida (Yes, Florida!)

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).

Our Florida fly is FREEZING this month! Why? Because it SNOWED in Florida the other day! Mother Nature has really been throwing some weather zingers at the U.S. lately. Luckily, I love the cold (that is, if the heat in my house works and I don't have to go outside, haha). We've had more campfires this year than any year I can recall, so I have eaten my weight in smores. However, it's a shame we didn't have super cold temps here during the holidays--I still dream of a white Christmas!

Speaking of the holidays, for the first time in almost 20 years, I didn't have to host the family gathering on Christmas day! We had our traditional dinner with the neighbors on Christmas Eve and then the next morning, we all met at my daughter's house for the big celebration. It was the easiest and probably best Christmas ever because it was zero stress for me. Even better, a few of us got treated later that night to an awesome Italian dinner at a cozy restaurant (no cooking, no dishes!!). I've decided this will be my new holiday tradition (as long as my daughter is willing to do all the work again next year). 

We are back on the RV camping trail now that the holidays are over. I have 9 state park trips planned and just finished a return trip to one of our fave spots called Lion Country Safari. What made this trip exceptional was hearing the lions roar all day (yes, we were that close, but it was still safe). My daughter's family lives nearby so they hung out with us during the weekend there---lots of cornhole, bocci ball, cards, and delicious BBQ. The sunsets were stunning during our evening walks! Sometimes I wish I could just freeze time while making these beautiful memories. 

While enjoying all the family fun this past month, I did remember to jot down some weird snippets of conversation that I'm sure burned my freezing fly's ears (wait, do flies have ears??): 

"We have way too much food in this refrigerator. I guess we don't ever have to worry about running out."
"Unless there's a nuclear war, then everybody would come to our house because they know how much food the Doyles hoard."
"I do not hoard food!"
"Ha! You've heard of halfway houses---well, we are a Fatway house!"




"Why are you still in the bathroom?"
"Because I ate too much cabbage last night! I think I just pooped out a Cabbage Patch doll"


"My poor friend--her little kids have pinworms."
"You mean butt worms?"
"Yeah, and you thought it was bad when our kids got lice."
"Whether it's pinworms or head lice, NOBODY wants to go to the pharmacy and walk down that aisle of shame."



"I'm writing an anonymous sex-health essay for AARP about your penis."
"That will be a short essay...."
"I'm also writing about tantric sex for this essay."
"Why would someone want to have tantrum sex? That doesn't sound fun." 
"No, I didn't say 'tantrum sex',  I said.....oh never mind."
 

"Is there a crow cawing in the tree behind me?
"Yes, why?"
"Oh good---I thought I had a sudden bout of tinnitus."



"Oh man, what is that awful smell??"
"Sorry about that. You just walked into my crop dust cloud."
"Crop dust? That was more like a fart bomb cyclone."


"One thing I hate about these road trips is that I have to make a restroom pee stop every hour!"
"So do I! I guess that means we are sym-potty-co."
"Do you have an off switch for your mouth?"



I guess it's a good thing my husband doesn't have an off switch for his mouth. Who else would I gather weird conversation bits from? I suppose if my dog could talk, that would be a REAL game changer in these Fly On The Wall blog posts......

***WANT MORE MENO MAMA? It has been a hot minute since I wrote any humor, but I have a good one about my journey with lifelong dieting for AARP/The Ethel that you can read HERE   And for a more serious essay on mental health and my struggle with depression/anxiety, please check out this personal health piece I wrote for AARP/The Girlfriend HERE  Lastly, I published another foodie article for AARP on healthy recipes if you're trying to trim up for the New Year that you can HERE

Now check out Karen and Diane's houses to see what that pesky fly has been up to!

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

                               

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

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