Alicenoneland

Here I am out for a walk. This pic was from a couple weeks ago during our cold snap. I'm always amazed by all the different things I see when I'm out and about. Even when the route is the same the surprises are different. You can tell it had been cold out, you would NEVER see one of these speedy little fellows squished on the sidewalk. The cold must have slowed him down enough to be either stepped on or just plain chilled to death! EEK!! This is one of my favorite sights on my walk, its a little retaing pond that I suspect has a spring in it; because, the water always appears clear not the typical cloudy brown color that typical artificial retaining ponds have. The interesting part of this pond is that it has fish tank fish in it. There are little guppies and other common easy to grow types.  I like to look and see If any pretty mutations have evolved. The fantails are my favorite, of course they are not super fancy like Betta's but they are uncommon to see i

I know you think I'm crazy obsessed, your right I am but I think this could be the end of it....Maybe. Every British blog I read has someone or another eating Weetabix. Really, people! Do you know how hard it is to find this stuff? Its as bad as that strange smoked tea I was after for so long. I did end up ordering it on Amazon, remember. But I was NOT going to pay $18.00 for a box of cereal from them, I don't care where it is from. I do have my limits! Buy some amazing chance I found a box of these in a clearance store amongst a bunch of other cereal. At first I thought I was mistaken and read it wrong,( like the time I thought the show 60 Minuets was 60 Seconds and couldn't figure out why it kept dragging on.) but  it was the real deal. I was over the top excited to try it. So I rushed right home and popped  it open.  Here it is all open. They are biscuits and come in sleeves like Shredded Wheat. Some people in the Amazon comments section of purchased page

We took an interesting ride the other day down to Titisville, its about 40 miles away to the south. I was amazed at how much the temperature changes in that seemingly short distance. The temperature went from around 70 degrees to 77 degrees!  We parked in the historic district and walked to a veteran's park, it had the best view of cape Canaveral.  You can see Canaveral off in the distance, it looked closer in real life.  They had a had print of one of the astronauts but I forgot to write who it was down. Charlie fit his hands into the print, like footprints, I believe he could fill the shoes.  It was an interesting area, great park. They had all sorts of memorial plaques and statue type things.  Check out this cool bike path. They have really put a lot of work into the pedestrian walkways along this stretch. It was a really nice warm sunny day, first in quite awhile.  Here is the road leading up to the gigantic bridge that goes out

I finally realized why I just love a huge mess in the kitchen when I'm cooking. And, truly I do Love it! When I was growing up my Mother worked nights. In the summers that meant we children would be hanging around the house all morning trying to be quiet while she slept. Well, four children eating, watching TV and trying to be quiet usually  made a terrific mess in the kitchen. About noontime Mom would wake up and outdoors we would trot, leaving behind a horrible mess.  Presto - Changeo. The next time I came into the kitchen it was sparkly clean! Can you imagine? Magic! I discovered that after making a terrific mess in my own kitchen, and buy cleaning it all up, I was recreating that magical feeling I got as a child, returning to a spotless kitchen at home.  I Love a good mess!  The one below could be a lot messier, but its effective.  So next time you have a mess in the kitchen think about the clean up being magical to someone. Or, t

Here's a few of the things I've eaten in the past week or so, in case you were interested. I am always interested in what people eat, so here goes.  Below is the appetizer for taco Tuesday, the salsa will go on the tacos also, Yummy!! My friend shared some of her amazing ham salad, so I had that one day for lunch with a sliced tomato on gluten free bread. Oh, here we are eating the ham sandwiches. I brought salsa chips as my contribution. Gotta have something crispy with a lunch sandwich. Oh, can you see desert? Watermelon.  Cooling on the porch in this pic is a pot-pie, with a gluten free crust. Charlie said he liked the crust. I am trying to incorporate more GF recipes into my cooking because Charlie is trying to be totally GF to reduce his eczema, and it seems to be working.  Trust me I eat way more than what I showed you, I don't want you to be sending me directions to the nearest food pantry or something. I could actually stand a few L

Welcome to a minimalist's nightmare, seriously, I've never seen so much stuff. I just kept thinking, "who will buy all this stuff?" My assistant is showing the size contrast, this is one BIG giraffe, I would have bought it for my mom she loves giraffes but it would not fit in my car. (sad face here) Rows and rows just like these, it goes on and on.  Not just terracotta painted goods but carvings like this Budda. I would have gotten this for Charlie in a hearbeat, he would have loved it, maybe too much, I'm not sharing the couch with a wooden statue. Check out this carving from an old root, wish I were handier with the carving knife, just think what I might think up. Patti wants to know if this chair makes her look taller? I'm not sure about taller but definitely shaply with those iron legs, we won't comment on the butt. This is the best behaved rooster I've ever met, very handsome to. Good thing we don't have

Wow! Check out all these Live Oak's. Such a pretty entrance to a magical place. Which is located at the same place as pancake restaurant I wrote about last week.  I was pretty impressed with this view. I felt like I was visiting a hundred years ago, Isn't it pretty? Here is my trusty assistant Patti testing out the constant 72 degree water for me. She had sandals an shorts on I had sneakers and slacks, that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it.  She said the water did not feel that cold once you got in.  I think she was just trying to get me to put my feet in, no doing, I do not like cold water! Unlike these brave swimmers doing laps around the spring. I gathered from one person that people come here just to do their laps, ( it would take more than swimming a few laps in that cold water to make me feel younger, it would definitely have the opposite effect!)  I couldn't read anywhere about how the spring was designed. From the looks of it th

Back on the topic of food. Here is a cool experience. Steak and Shake, a franchised restaurant down here in the south that we do not have up north where I am from.  Here is a typical meal, minus the Shake, only water for me. They feature the shoestring style of french fry, my personal fave. I go for the more ketchup per fry theory. I think I already flipped my sandwich over just before I took this picture, I don't like the bottom to get soggy from gravity, (just so you know.) You can also sit up to the counter if you want that "old timey" feeling.  Yum, it tastes as good as it looks. It's the bacon cheeseburger, how could it not be good? You take your own check up, I like that, then you can leave when you want and not feel as though you are held hostige as the waitress gives you the bill leaves, decides to come back to get your money and then hopefully remembers to come back again with your change. So much waiting.  So, bringing you

Oh my gosh! Look what my sweetie got me at the second hand store. I'm beyond happy.  It's a Cohiba cigar ashtray, and I might add; not an ash will defile the creamy goodness of this container. This is a very high end cigar brand we're talking about here, a real gem. Here is the wonderful humidor that Charlie got me at the estate sale back in November, just lovely.  And my gifted cigars from my generous brother all nestled in safe and sound.  I even got ambitious and refilled my humidor moisture tubes, can't have my babies getting all dried out and blowing away. Just so you know the cherished ashtray will go on my dresser to hold my jewelry, very spiffy my dresser will be.  All this talk of cigars and such, makes me want to have one but the weather out on my smoking porch is still to chilly to really enjoy a smoke. I'll just sit here in the house and admire my new ashtray and dream of warmer days. alicenoneland.com

Here is the entrance to DeLeon Springs, its a state park you stop at the gate and pay by the car, unless you have more than four and then I guess you pay extra.  This spring is one of the many natural springs in Florida. Each of the springs maintain a constant temperature of 72 degrees year around, mystifying to me.  I really didn't know what to expect.  I went there simply to experience the pour your own pancakes that I have heard about since Ive been wintering down here. Its crazy close maybe 40 miles, what was I waiting for?  Below you can see my trusty copilot directing the way. Notice how she is clutching her purse, she may not trust my driving. Here we are headed to the restaurant, dose the smile give away the anticipation? OOh! and there are lots of other dinners, good thing we were only a party of 2 or we would have had to wait, a long list was growing. My youngest brother used to travel for work and always said pick a restaurant that is busy, it