Only in the Grove. . .

I went walking in the South Grove with my friend Ruth this morning.  Now I've seen it all.  The south end of the Grove is the oldest area and strictly residential. Most of the homes have been here since the 20's and they range from modest to mansions, but they are all "very Grove".  You have to live in this area to understand the true meaning of that expression.

I'm used to seeing people out walking their dogs at 8 in the morning.  That's a given.  I'm also used to seeing gorgeous peacocks strolling around.  Residents have a love/hate relationship with these magnificent creatures who are prone to dirtying up the area. But the lady walking towards us on the road this morning was an oddity even for the Grove.

On her chest was a sort of backpack, call it a frontpack, with its front panel hanging open.  As we approached I could have sworn I saw a bird looking out at me.

Say hello to Pandora.  She's a green parrot. No youngster, around 20 years old, and she loves her morning walk.  In fact, she insists on it, according to the lady who apparently accommodates her feathered friend's every desire.  We stopped to talk, had a chat with Pandora, and then walked on, shaking our heads.

That's what I mean when I say only in the Grove.
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The art of being "appraised". . . .

I'm in the process of refinancing my condo mortgage and a young man came to my apartment this morning to "appraise" it for the bank.  The guy managed to scare the hell out of my cats as he marched around the house with his giant measuring tape.  I provided him with a printed floor plan of my unit, with all the room sizes, but I guess he felt he had to earn his keep by measuring everything himself.

Ginger, hiding in the closet.
 

After taking photos of all the rooms and also of the view (which even he admitted was pretty spectacular) he departed to have a chat with the manager of Grove Isle as to the state of our community  The only smile I got out of him during the entire business was when he got a glimpse of Ginger, crouching on the top shelf of one of my closets.  Wasabi was no where in sight.

I find this whole "refinancing" business very strange. They certainly ask a lot of personal questions including proof that I really am divorced and own this place. Jeez, that happened almost 28 years ago.  Can't they take my word for it???  I guess not.

What really is strange is the fact that almost everything is done on the computer, with no actual personal interaction, except for the appraisal. I'm sure when we bought our condo and first financed it back in 1986, that definitely wasn't the case.  I like to feel I'm fairly tech savvy, but in truth, sometimes I miss the old ways of doing things.  How about you????
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My construction fees are very reasonable. . . .

If you are thinking about building a giant trampoline, and need some expert help, give me a call.  I have terrific creds in that area.

Adam at work.

Just ask my grandson Adam, the chief engineer on our major project this past Thanksgiving weekend.  It took the two of us a mere 2 1/2 hours to erect the outdoor beauty that daughter Andrea and I bought as an early Channukah present for Grayson, her grandson and my great-grandson.  Adam and I agreed that the instructions that came with the outdoor structure truly sucked, but the end result was fantastic.  I may not know how to cook a turkey, but if you need someone to hand you the screws and hold up the netting for the trampoline's sides, while you're working on attaching, I'm your gal.

Best of all, Grayson gave it his stamp of approval from his very first jump, with a few thousand more to follow.  This gift was a definite winner, as was the entire weekend, spent in Jacksonville, at Adam and Amy's home, along with Andrea, and Adam's dad, Elliot, and his wife, Susan.  Dinner was fabulous!  Thank you, Amy!

Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Can you tell I adore him??

Chef Amy and her fabulous dinner

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The Anker Family

The best kiss ever!