ESTATE SALES ARE GREAT

The price makers said that family and friends could have a little pre-sale before the big "Estate Sale" on the 19th. Well that kind of filled the street with cars and many of the ladies brought big purses. You don't have to be dead to have an Estate Sale it seems. Lauren's daughter, Anne, shown in the photo (as if you couldn't tell) bought the lounge suite, the leather lounge chairs and the bedside tables and a bunch of other stuff, which we loaded onto the trailer and unloaded at their house. Now all I need to do is to get Tony, Anne's other half, to paint the lounge walls the same color as our house and the "Queen" will be perfectly at home once more. Tom and Barbara on "MORSAN" are safe in Wrightsville Beach N.C. and Hurricane "IKE", now a humungous monster is heading for Galveston Bay, Texas. You could fit the whole of Florida inside the storm. We can feel the effects of it here already. Gas (Petrol) is due to rise tomorrow by as much as $1.50 per gallon. There has been incredible destruction in its wake in Turks & Caicos, Bahamas and Cuba and there surely will be more when it makes landfall at 2am on Saturday morning. Evacuations are already in progress.

THE QUEEN OF FLORIDA IS NOW HOMELESS

Yes...........Last Friday afternoon we took all the crates, boxes and giant tupperware, loaded it onto a box trailer and towed it to Anne & Tony's garage for the final sort. We have moved into their spare room. The best "Hotel" ever, without room service. Two days later Laurie is still searching for her bras. Frankly I think the twins are doing just fine.... here's to new found freedom... Today she is wearing a sports bra, the kind people run a marathon in. The twins must surely be in pain. Tonight I will definitely help her find those lost bras, because the "uniboob" has as much appeal as an ironing board. The house has been taken over by a trio of price makers, everything is labelled and on display. Freedom comes with a price. Sometimes I catch Laurie with that look that says " It's all good", but the look has a deep sadness about it. Letting go of security and a peace garden and swapping it for a blue horizon and a romp in an occasional botanical garden is a poor substitute, and to top it off, the Frangipani at the house is now in full bloom. Life from here on had better be as beautiful and as exotic as the passion flowers we are leaving behind. Double click on the passion flower and you will see what I mean. Tropical storm "Hanna" gave us a glancing blow, Hurricane "IKE" has demolished Cuba and is now heading across the Gulf of Mexico towards Texas, "Josephine" is staying in the Atlantic and there by the grace of God go we.