Janurary 27, 2007

Good morning everyone this has been a busy week for me. Hope all went well with you. The weather here has been kind of dreary reminds me a lot of up north when it was going to snow. In other words is certainly hasn’t been “sunny Florida” like it should beJ. But I am not complaining it has been in the 50’s and low 60’s. Great to work outside in, speaking of which my grandson came over last Sunday and finished my hedges. So that is done, now just the weeding remains. We did get some rain on Thursday, and it was badly needed.

Dad is doing terrific for a man of his age, just wish I could get him out of the house more. He has so much to offer others, I don’t know about you, but he can fix just about anything that goes wrong with his computer. He spends hours researching things on the internet and is always coming up with jewels to pass on to my sisters and I. But he has become a home body and he really is not interested in getting out.

On Monday evening, I attended my first “come back” meeting of the Local Planning agency. It certainly was an eye opener for me. I could not believe how much that board has changed in the last two years. The “good old boy’s are back” in full force on that board. Now don’t get me wrong they are not all that way but there are about three or four people that run that board. Others just set back and let them go. Or at least that was my first opinion in that meeting. The only item on the agenda was a road that they feel needs to be built yesterday in the Palm Bay area. What was presented to us was not facts of where the road will be was carte blanch on incentives for the county to acquire the property to build the road. Just to name a few things as growth incentives, tax incentives and density incentives. There was only one staff member there and she didn’t know most of the facts but it was intended for us to pass this on to the Commission with our blessing with out us ever seeing the corrections that we made. It was rushed through and passed, still cannot believe it. My Commissioner still has two appointee to name to this board, and I am praying they will be someone that has a voice and speak out like my friend Karen. By the way I was the only one that voted no on the item. I know they need a road, but we do not need the kind of growth that it will encourage in Brevard.

I want to thank everyone that replied to me about the passport. I have gleaned all kind of knowledge about passports. This is how it is here in Brevard, could be different other places. You can not go to just any Post office for instance here where I live you have to go to the Main Post Office in Cocoa to pick up the papers, then you have to go to the CVS pharmacy and get your picture taken. Then you make an appointment with the Post Office (because they are not there all the time) to meet the officer for an interview. It takes four to six weeks after that to get the passport. This year it isn’t necessary to have a passport to go to Canada, your diver’s license will do but next year you will need a passport. The original cost is $97 and to renew it is $67. they are good for ten years.

Another special Birthday coming up this week, Dean’s wife Jerri will celebrate a very import milestone on the 31’s. Please send your best wishes to her.

On Tuesday evening I attended the Federally Employed Women’s meeting in Port St. John. It is the beginning of a busy year for us and I am looking forward to it. We put on our annual training program in Cocoa Beach and then shortly after that there is a regional training program that will be held in Louisville, KY. I hope to be able to attend that one also. I am the chair of the scholarship committee and each year we give out five or six thousand dollars in scholarships. Last year we gave five thousand to the local Community college for the less fortunate women that are trying to start a new life. I will attend the first advisory board meeting at the college next month in which they choose who will get the next “grant”. It should be very interesting.

Well I told you about having to get a new “retiree badge” to work the launches and landings at KSC. I also mention that they would have to do a background check if we had not had one in the last ten years. We were all hoping that we would not have to fill out the paperwork again and guess what? Every one of us has to do the paper work! That Bet is supper woman, she was right on the ball and got her’s filled out right away. Me, I am fiddleing with dates; gosh I am terrible with dates. I just love the question on there that asks you if you have ever visited a foreign country? Born and raised in a border town makes that question very difficult, you are back and forth just like you go to the next town or city.

My class reunion is being held on a Thursday in my home town. The letter says that gives us the opportunity to be free to see the town “walk” they said on Friday night and see the parade on Sat. For those of you that are not familiar with my home town, it hosts the Maine Potato Blossom festival every year; I think it has been going on some 50 some years. My sister Lana is also attending her class reunion on the 21’s of July at the Country Club; she must have a bigger class that I doJ.

On Wednesday evening I played 99 with some of the FEW girls. I love that game, but can never win. I am always the first one to lose. But it is great fun and keeps my mind working.

On Thursday evening I attended a meeting of the delegates that will attend the Church Convention today. We went over all the resolutions and Fr. Roberts explained what was going on with them and why they were being presented. I told my Dad I just couldn’t get over even after all these years how political the convention is. He assured me it wasn’t just the Episcopal Church that had that problem.

I am sending this out a little early today because I have to be at the Church at 7. It is going to be a long day. Hope you and yours have a great week and things go well for you.


Lots of Love,
a (aa) Mom & ~g~