Thomas Edison

Saturday night my husband and I packed a bag, grabbed the grandson and headed south for a 3 hour drive to Fort Myers, Florida. We pulled into a motel around 11:30 pm for a good nights sleep so we could be bright and bushy tailed for the day we had planned with our grandson. We had decided to take him to see Thomas Edison's winter home and laboratory and Henry Ford's winter home. They were neighbors and close friends. Jesse is a ten year old boy who just soaks up things like a sponge and was thrilled to see many of Edison's inventions. Edison purchased 13+ acres in 1885 and two homes were assembled on the property the following year. His home was known as Seminole Lodge.



The view from the porch.


The garden path connecting to the guest house.



Inside views of Seminole Lodge, Edison's winter home in Fort Myers,Florida. The bedroom is actually seperated from the rest of the house by a breezeway. Originally it was a kitchen but when he bought the house next door the kitchen was then moved to the other house. It was said that he didn't like to smell the food being cooked. There are two additional bedrooms upstairs.




Thomas Edison's lab near his home in Fort Myers, Florida. Pieces have been moved into the museum area while the actual lab is being restored.



In the actual lab...a cot was kept close by. Edison would take short naps during the day and would often work through the night.

The lab that is being restorated.


A generator




Some of the many inventions that Edison worked on over the years. He had over 1090 patents by the time he died in 1931 at the age of 84. The invention that he is most known for is the phonograph. Many people believe he invented the light bulb, but he did not invent the first light bulb. But the man who did couldnot keep the bulb burning for more than a few seconds, so what Edison actually did was perfect it, getting it to burn 40 hours, and later 1200 hours. Another of his inventions is the motion picture camera.




We were all amazed to find out that in 1925 Harvey Firestone gave Edison a 4 foot cutting of a Banyan Tree to add to his botanical research garden and that tree is now nearly an acre in diameter. This tree just seemed to go on forever. The following 3 pictures are of the single tree.





My next post will be Henry Ford's winter home. Jesse was very interested in the cars and stories that he heard about on the tour.

Just Some Photos

My daughter, Cindy, ready for her first dance recital at age 4. Way back in 1983.

Twenty seven years later, the costume now fits her daughter, Sophia, who is almost 4.


Cindy and her daughter, Sophia, just having fun. Sophia is a mixture of both Cindy and her husband, Brad.


But her son, Jesse, looks just like her.

My Summer Vacations

My grandchildren and my son-in-law during our 'after the 4th of july' picnic at the park.


My husband and my granddaughter, Sophia, the day before we left to come home.


Sophia, playing model in the window of a store in the mall.

I haven't been home much since the end of May. The last few years, my husband and I have spent my birthday in Alabama so I can be with the grandchildren. And even though we returned home to Florida during the first week in June, I was on my way back to Alabama two and a half weeks later with my sister and niece. We enjoyed a short visit and returned home six days later, joined by my daughter and my two grandchildren. My son-in-law couldn't get off from work so they came to visit family and friends without him. Because of the 4th of July weekend, their visit was a short one. After only 3 days they returned home just in time for the celebrations going on in their hometown and my husband and I decided to join them again. I had barely unpacked and I was packing again. Because somewhere along the way I had hurt the heal of my left foot and found it difficult to walk a lot, I stayed behind when everyone attended the 'First Friday' celebration and again the next night when everyone went to the fireworks display over the Coosa River. But I did manage to make it to the BBQ at my daughter's house on the 4th.
This stay was only six days, and we returned home to Florida this past Wednesday. Before we left my daughter told us that if we wanted, we could take our ten year old grandson with us if we promised to get him back in a week or so. Needless to say, we agreed and Jesse returned to Florida with us. He and my husband have been enjoying swimming in the pool for the past few days and Jesse will be going to Busch Gardens tomorrow with his other grandparents. The following day we will be taking him to Fort Myers to Thomas Edison's summer home and museum, which he is excited about. He loves museums and anything educational. Though my husband can't take off from work again so soon, I will be leaving again this Thursday to bring my grandson back to Alabama, with my mom (his great grandma) along for the ride. This will be another 5 or 6 day trip. I will be returning in time to celebrate my sister's 50th birthday with her. I am thrilled that I am getting to spend so much time with my grandchildren this summer, but I know that it is only going to make me miss them all the more when the trips come to an end. I just can't wait until we can finally sell our home in Florida and make the permanent move to be near them.

Weeki Wachee

My daughter and grandchildren are visiting from Alabama and we decided to take them to Weeki Wachee so they can enjoy the mermaids. Jesse has been there before but Sophia hasn't and the show was 'the Little Mermaid'. It was the same show that Jesse saw two years ago, but he still enjoyed it. We also took my niece, Brooke along to enjoy the afternoon. After the show, we walked around the park a little bit and came across this beautiful peacock.



This bird was definitely putting on a show for all the tourists, she turned and struted her stuff, walking back and forth for at least 5 minutes, blocking the entire walkway. It was as if she was posing for the cameras that kept flashing in her face.



Once her show was over we headed over for a photo shoot with the kids becoming part of the mermaid exhibit.




After leaving the park we went to Panera's for lunch and hit a store before returning home. The day proved to be a slightly exhausting for little Sophia.

Flashback Friday: My Dollhouse

I recently read a post by Fallon at Sweetfancy (http://xxsweetfancyxx.blogspot.com/2010/06/welcome-to-dollhouse.html)about always wanting a dollhouse and deciding to put a vintage kit together. The picture of her dollhouse immediately brought back memories of one I had years ago. I remember when I started to put the kit together I couldn't stop. I was so anxious to see the completed building that I worked through the night into the morning to assemble it. I took pictures when I finished it and put the few pieces of dollhouse furniture in it that I had purchased. These pictures are old and taken that first day. I had done quite a bit more to the house over the years, a little at a time. I shingled the roof and even wired the house for lights, painted and wallpapered some walls and carpeted a room or two. When we bought our first home and moved from New York to Florida the dollhouse came with us, and I remember searching out a minitature dollhouse store and finally found one about a 45 minute drive from us. I would take a trip there at least once a month at first, but eventually decorating our real house, and raising my family took priority and the dollhouse fell by the wayside. I finally sold it at a garage sale, but I had it for several years and enjoyed working on it. I know I have more pictures of it once I had completed it, if I find them I will post them.

On the Road Again

I am about to leave for a 6 day vacation with my sister. We aren't going any place exotic, we are just going to Alabama to visit with my daughter, son-in-law and grandkids. Though my husband and I go there every couple of months, my sister doesn't get to see them that often so we decided to take a road trip together and visit. This time my husband is staying behind but when I return, he and I will be heading out a few days later for our planned visit to Alabama. We like to spend as much time as we can with the grandkids. Our grandson is getting so big, he will be 11 in December, and our granddaughter will be 4 in September. I want to be around them as much as possible, I don't want to miss them growing up. Okay, so now I am going to be one of those grandparents that people avoid because...."let me show you some pictures of my grandchildren."

Wordless Wednesday-Kitten Stormy

Going Lighter for Summer

Changing from the heavy floor length floral curtains to



shorter, smaller, floral pattern curtains and changing up the table a little too.
Originally, I made these curtains for my other house in Alabama, but I didn't have enough material, I came up a window short. So until I can get more of the same fabric I thought I'd put them up in the Florida house. I am working on other curtains for the bedrooms in Alabama. Everything that I have there right now is very plain and generic. They serve their purpose but that is all they do, no visual interest at all. For 3 years I didn't really care much, but I am hoping to be moving into that house soon so I want to start really decorating it.