Bingo was its name...O!

I've just returned from Bingo and wanted to let you readers know that I won the whopping sum of $16! Ah...but it was a lot of fun, kind of took my mind off the ordeal that's awaiting me in a few hours. I'm just not sure it's worth standing in line for 2 hours. Of course, I will take a chair out there and Don will bring me a cup of coffee later, I hope. At least I'll get to see some of my friends and enjoy the time. The guys are riding their bikes to the flea market so the girls are going out to breakfast together... can't you tell we have a hard life? Don't we work so hard? heehee Ah, the retired life is wonderful! We just have to keep our minds on the fun we have and off the fact that life is so short.

Fight for the Sites We Adore!

Beginning around 4:00-5:00 AM tomorrow, a line will be forming in front of the park office. Everyone here who does not plan to spend 3 + months in the park next year must sign up for a site beginning at 7:00 AM. Most people want their current site back so they come mid-morning to fight for the site. Unfortunately, the office staff has booked our site to someone who has never even seen or been in the park before! I don't understand this since there are some sites available that have daily and/or weekly turnover rates. Why do we have to move? We have been on this site for 7 years now but longevity cannot win over $$$$$$! They did the same thing to my brother last year and he had to move to a site not very close to us. He was able to get a site closer to the crowd next year by signing up for 3 months. Also, all of our other friends have signed up for 3 months. Well, the fact is, that we don't care to stay 3 months. We are staying the longest this year, 2 months, but next year, especially since they do the way they do in the office, we will only stay maybe 4-5 weeks next year. Who knows, we may decide not to come at all. I do plan to stand in line tomorrow like everyone else but I don't plan to go out there before 5:00 -6:00 AM. I'll let you know what the outcome is for everyone tomorrow and if there are any fights as a result of these stupid rules!!!

Monday's Madness

After I finished my 30-minute exercise class, I began my mile walk. As I was walking down one of the streets, I met one of my friends walking, one whom I had just seen riding her golf cart earlier. She was smiling, as she always does, but she looked so tired. When I asked her why she was walking, she said her golf cart battery had died. I wanted to play the Good Samaritan, so I told her to wait at her home which was very close by, and my husband and I would see about getting it home for her. I walked back and Don and Sammie, a neighbor, rode their bikes up to check it out. When we couldn't find the charger, Sammie tried the starter and off it went. Well, they told me to drive it home and they would follow me to make sure I made it. Fortunately, I did make it but it was a slow go. When we got there, however, her husband and another very elderly friend had driven up to see about the cart. Of course, they couldn't find it! It was already home by this time. Well, her husband thought it had already been stolen (his wife did leave the keys in the ignition). Sammie then rode his bike back up where they were looking for the cart to jokingly tell them that he had seen someone loading a golf cart on a truck! Now, I'm getting scared that my good deed may backfire! Would I end up in trouble? But, the truth will always come out. Actually, the elderly couple was very happy that we had gotten the cart back because he didn't know how he would get it there. It became a funny episode and just provided another chance for playing tricks on friends. Once again, I am on the receiving end. That's okay, I would do the same to them every chance I get. That's part of the fun of being a Senior!

Playing in the Puddles

About 8:00 this morning, I was drinking my coffee and watching the local news and weather when the guy said there would likely be showers this afternoon. All of a sudden, I thought the roof would collapse! It started raining so hard that the streets began overflowing with water. I thought, if it keeps this up, we won't be able to walk down to the church services at 8:30. By the time I had the thought about "skipping" church, the rain let up. I was happy to know that I would be able to hear our pastor present another great sermon. We are also expecting to have a Gideon speak today. They really do a great service and they need our help to distribute so many Bibles and Testaments.

Before leaving for church, I looked out and some Snowbird, wearing only a swimsuit, came stolling down the street hopping in all the big puddles of water! It looked so funny to see a man who looked 75 or more playing in the puddles.

I'm telling you, one never knows what or who will be happening next. We have an older man (he has a younger wife or significant other, we think) who lives in the back side of the park and loves his thong! Yes, he wears a thong...sometimes! If you are unlucky, sometimes he likes to sunbathe in his back yard (I'm told ,yes told, because I haven't seen this, that he sometimes can be seen even without the little "string.) I must tell you that this is not a pretty sight and we avoid looking in that direction! They are a very friendly couple when walking around the park and he does put on something more appropriate then.

I hope you had a great weekend and that all will go well for you. May God bless you this week and keep you and yours safe.

You Always Have to Stand in Line

I'm having trouble with the web again today. I don't know what the problem is but they say it is a problem with the entire park. I suppose WiFi is having its troubles again.

It's cloudy and breezy today with a chance of rain tonight and tomorrow morning. Everyone has gone inside as if they fear the rains will catch them outside. Actually, I walked a mile this morning and did feel a few drops. Don got caught out on his bike earlier and was soaked!

When I graduated from high school, I thought my days for standing in line were behind me...NOT! I now know that, no matter how old we become, we will have to play the waiting game. Everyone is getting anxious about getting their favorite park sites back next year. Unless you are willing to stay here 3 months, you cannot reserve a site until March 1. Then, if anyone wants your site, they can take it prior to March 1. On Wednesday morning, early, everyone like us who stays 4 - 8 weeks will get in line and try to get their sites back. It is a little silly to go out an hour before the office opens in hopes that no one else gets our sites. (We aren't guaranteed that someone else hasn't already reserved it on Feb 28). The reason we care is to get back with our friends again. Of all our surrounding friends (that's 4 couples), we are the only ones that don't plan to stay 3 months next year. 3 of the couples are even coming down before Christmas in order to get in their 90 days before it gets too hot. Don't worry, Kendra, Thom, and Marty, we would never do that. Christmas is too special and we prefer to be home. In fact, we plan to stay home longer next year so that we can share the excitement of our granddaughter's fourth birthday. I love Christmas; I love my family; and, I love making memories!

Buying the Obsolete With a Purpose

I thought I was never going to get this page up so that I could blog. I don't know what's wrong but this internet has been extremely slow today!

Today, being Friday, means that many of the people living around here have a yard sale. Some of them are moving; others are just getting rid of things they don't use anymore. While riding bikes this morning, Don found a sale where the people were selling belongings that were in "almost new" condition. He found a slide projector still in its original box looking like it had been preserved in plastic. Also, there was a super8 movie projector in the same condition. He bought both of them for $6.00!! You may ask why he wanted these obsolete machines. The answer is that we have many slides of our children when they were small and movies taken on our super 8 movie camera. These were very popular and expensive in the 70's, you know. I had borrowed a movie camera from a dear friend. Now, I can return his when we get home, provided that the couple was right when they said they are in excellent working condition. Our slide projector has been broken for several years. Perhaps, when we get home and we can actually see these, I will get my daughter to help me post a few of them on my site. That's something I haven't learned how to do yet.

Buying the Obsolete With a Purpose

I thought I was never going to get this page up so that I could blog. I don't know what's wrong but this internet has been extremely slow today!

Today, being Friday, means that many of the people living around here have a yard sale. Some of them are moving; others are just getting rid of things they don't use anymore. While riding bikes this morning, Don found a sale where the people were selling belongings that were in "almost new" condition. He found a slide projector still in its original box looking like it had been preserved in plastic. Also, there was a super8 movie projector in the same condition. He bought both of them for $6.00!! You may ask why he wanted these obsolete machines. The answer is that we have many slides of our children when they were small and movies taken on our super 8 movie camera. These were very popular and expensive in the 70's, you know. I had borrowed a movie camera from a dear friend. Now, I can return his when we get home, provided that the couple was right when they said they are in excellent working condition. Our slide projector has been broken for several years. Perhaps, when we get home and we can actually see these, I will get my daughter to help me post a few of them on my site. That's something I haven't learned how to do yet.

Traveling Southwest Florida

Today was spent on the road mostly. We drove to Naples, then down to the jumping off place: Everglade City. That is a great place to see: people on huge yachts come in, dock, and eat at the Gun and Rifle Restaurant, a very plush, very expensive restaurant, a place most of us cannot afford to eat at every day. Other than this, the area is very isolated, with no grand houses at all. It probably has about 500 year-round residents who make their living off fishing and tourists. There are no famous motels, etc., just a place to drive in to see and perhaps drive back to Naples for the evening. If you have never taken a ride on an air boat, you should do so while here.

From Everglade City, we drove back through the alligator highway (not Alligator Alley) to the Indian Village of Immokole. Of course, we had to hit the slots for about an hour. I left with a few more little bills than I carried in but nothing to brag about. Don lost a few bucks and so did our friends, Bo and Rose. It was a great trip regardless. It is so like the Carribean Islands with the beautiful palm trees. Many of the homes here are much more elaborate, however, especially in Naples. I strongly recommend that you plan a trip to Southwest Florida if you have never been here. It's well worth your trip, especially in the winter when it's not so hot.

Remember the Drive-In Theatre

It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood. I feel like "Mr. Rogers" this morning as I hum his theme song. I woke up to a bright day of sunshine and look out to see everyone getting in the morning walk early. I see ladies and gents strolling along with dogs of all kinds: pomeranians; a variety of terriers; dachhaunds (sp. hot dogs); a few shepherds. Dogs in the park are supposed toweigh less than 20 pounds but older dogs have been grandfathered in. We don't have a dog, don't want a dog, don't need a dog to clean up behind. They are pretty to look at but too much trouble when traveling.

Today is the local flea market day, so many of the guys ride their bikes about 2 miles over to the drive-in theatre where it is held. Yes, there is still a drive-in theatre here and believe it or not, they still show movies some nights! I thought they were all obsolete. Do you remember the posts that held those ugly metal speakers which you drove up beside, would take the speaker and put in on your window? Some of the guys would try to steal them or pull them off the posts. Sometimes, you picked a place where the speaker didn't work and you would have to move; sometimes a truck load of teenagers would come park in front of you and block your view; sometimes you didn't like the movie anyway so you really didn't do much watching. Your date had to get out of the car to walk to the concession stand for your popcorn, candy and sodas. Or sometimes, you would wanted a hot dog; after all, they had great ones.

At the local Drive-Ins, we only had one screen, but in the nearby city, there were places that had 2 screens and you could choose which movie to park at. Sometimes you could ride down the road and see the pictures but usually, the screens were turned away from public view. It was important to get the teenagers' 50 cents! Did you ever try to sneak in all of your friends, usually in the trunks of the cars or under a pile of coats? What silly things we often did just for fun. I remember sneaking in some friends just to see if we could get away with it. We did, but we then "fessed" up and paid for the 2 extra people. None of us were bad kids, just fun-loving. Sort of like we are today, just changed our direction of fun with a much lower energy level!

Great Day for the Beach

After my exercise class, 4 of us headed for Sanibel Island for the day. What a beautiful day for the beach! There are miles and miles of bike and walking paths, all paved! And, it is all level ground, no hills to climb! There were hundreds of young and old walking and riding. Young couples had children in the "rumble seats"; young children, wearing their helmets, were having lots of fun riding. I thought schools must be out since there were so many children; however, when we rode by the local school, we could tell that it was in session.

We were advised to eat at the Bubble Room and believe me, it was a wonderful experience. We only ate sandwiches (prices a little above normal and served ala carte) but they were served on their own homemade sesame bread with their famous tartar sauce (on the grouper). Their desserts were huge enough for 4 people so we all shared a wonderful pineapple/mandarin cake with coconut cream cheese icing! Great!

If you ever visit the Ft. Myers/Naples area, be sure to experience the beautiful Sanibel Island.

Happy President's Day! (Or Merry Monday!)

Where is everybody? I have only had a few bloggers each day for the past weekend. You must all be having a great vacation, especially today is a holiday for some. (None of my readers like to respond to blogs anywhere, so I seldom get any comments. I do appreciate them when I get them though.)

I know that school is open at home, but here, the schools are closed, so we are hanging around the park until tomorrow. Then I think we're going down to the Everglades and to Everglade City. They serve the best Key Lime pie in the world there! We haven't made this trek in several years so we'll give it a try again.

I wonder how many people know what today is and why we celebrate. Actually, very few do celebrate other than government workers. Do you think the media will give out president a day of rest today or will it be just another "Bash Bush" day? I don't agree with everything he does or says, but he was elected and he is our leader so I think we should give him the respect the office holds, regardless of one's party preference. Today would be a nice day to "Be Nice to Bush Day". What do you think?

I don't get it!

Happy Sunday morning! What a beautiful day! It's going to be a very warm day here in Southwest Florida. I hope that you will enjoy your day, whatever the temperature.

And what are you thankful for this Sunday morning? Just listening to the local, state, national and world news makes me thankful for so much. So much of the news (most, actually) is negative, I have to listen intently to catch something that is good. The most you will hear on TV that is good, or at least when they are trying to make you think it's something good, is the commercials. It seems that the older I get, the more weird many of these ads get. (I love the Budweiser commercials best; how about you? My all-time favorite is the Bud Frogs!) Who thinks up all of these ads, I wonder. I have heard that most of them are designed to be understood by a sixth grader, or 12 year olds. Well, I am getting younger at heart; maybe I'm doing the same with my brain and didn't know it! I certainly don't get some of those!

Eat and Forget It

Excited about the upcoming Parade of Lights tonight, I awoke, turned on the TV to check the weather and what did I hear to start my day? Complaints! The last thing I heard last night was complaints about what everyone else was or was not doing. This morning, the complaints weren't about the war, the weather, not even Dick Cheney nor George Bush. No, the complaining was about traffic and road construction. The main complaint was they were getting to work late or to the store. I ask, why not leave home a bit earlier? If you don't face a problem, be proud to arrive early for a change. Maybe we should think of why we should be glad to be there in the first place and ask ourselves some soul-searching questions:

1. Do I have a car to drive in the first place?
2. Do I have gas in the car?
3. Is there gas available to put in my car?
4. Do I have a job to go to?
5. Would I like a better road to travel on?
6. Do I care about these construction workers enough to do my part to keep them safe?
7. Do I possess the physical senses to drive a car?
8. Are there others out here who have really SERIOUS problems?
9. Am I being self-centered and thinking only of myself and my problems?
10. Do I want to live longer? Enough to calm down?

It's so ironic. They just started telling on TV how the foods you eat can improve certain moods. For example, eat chicken and other protein to help your thinking; eat fruit to help you rest; eat chocolate for calming; and, eat almonds to relieve stress. Since I am now stressed and need to calmed, perhaps I should eat a chocolate bar with almonds and forget it! Let's do it!
Hmm...I like this! Get me going again, TV!

Get off my behind & off your horn

Sorry I'm late tonight with a blog but we have spent several hours in the streets today. After my exercising and cycling, 4 of us rode the route for the Festival of Lights Grand Parade which takes place tomorrow night beginning at 7:00 PM. It is quite a spectacular parade to see, especially live because you can get the full effect that way. Anyway, we wanted to check it out for parking places. Many of the streets will be blocked so we wanted to ensure that we wouldn't get in a compromising position with all the traffic they are expecting after 5:00PM.

One of my pet peeves is impatient drivers who want to drive faster than is reasonable and then they want to blow you off the streets! I slowed down as I came up on an intersection where I had to make a turn. Some lady (I use the term with question) drove up on my behind, gave me the ugly finger sign, shook her fist at me, and sat down on her horn! I was going the speed limit, not above it as she preferred (and she had small children in the car with her and she sped by me!) You know, they are the ones who never get caught by the law. I know it's wrong to wish for them to have to pay the piper, but this thing with "road rage" is awful! I don't know how to handle it and I wonder if anyone does. I'm not a driver who pokes along, weaves in my lane, pulls out in front of others and turns off, change lanes in front of traffic. I have always been considered a good driver, have even won a county school bus rodeo, and I drive a 38 foot motorcoach (I'm not bragging and hope that I don't have any accidents). How does one handle road rage or impatient, rude drivers? Got suggestions?

Getting Ready to Add more Exercise Time

Today, 3 of us ladies decided to go out to breakfast, browse in Barnes & Noble, and end our goofing off at Target. I don't know how you like it but I love to spend hours in Barnes & Noble, then, after finding a good book or magazine, enjoy a Cappaciano in the Starbucks there. 2 of us were looking forward to that while the other lady went to PetSmart. This was quite a refreshing and revitalizing morning and early afternoon. Because of these events, I didn't get to go to my exercise class; however, I did buy my weights that I will need to continue with my additional personal exercise time. When we get home, I plan to perhaps add the exercise ball to my time.
Right now I'm excited about my future plans. I just hope that I will enjoy them when I'm able to start and that I won't give up on them before I show progress.

It's a Boy!

I heard that my niece, Joette, had a son, Thomas James, around 9:00 AM. He weighed 7 pounds, 10 oz. Both mom and son were doing fine. Daddy and sisters were very excited about the birth. Congratulations!! I pray that both will continue to do well and stay healthy.

The weather here in the Deep South has been beautiful today and tomorrow it's supposed to be warmer. The humidity is suppose to increase (that will make it feel warmer). Personally, I like it the way it's been: unseasonably cool. Everyone is happy that the weather is predicted to be great Saturday when the big parade will take place. It's so funny. When you drive down the main streets, you see chairs, areas taped off with names written on the sidewalk, and in some places makeshift bleachers. I wonder why people don't steal this stuff; however, I haven't heard of any problems. People started putting their things out last Sunday! By Saturday, one will be lucky to find a place to stand. Last year, we found a nice place at the marina to view this beautiful Edison Parade of Lights but this year, they are changing the route and it will not go that way. I don't know what we'll do this year.

Until next time.

Here's What's Happening This Morning

Already, I have washed a load of clothes, completed my 30 minutes of exercise, and walked a mile. Now I'm eating my breakfast (dry cheerios and water) It doesn't seem to matter what I eat, however, or how much exercise I get, I don't lose weight. My niece reminded me that muscle weighs more than fat. I do hope that's what's happening with me. So far, I can't tell any difference in the fit of my clothes or the scales, and I've been doing this 4 to 5 days per week for over 2 weeks. Maybe I'm being impatient. When one is as chubby as I, patience doesn't come easy. I'm not ready to give up yet though.

We just had another parade go down the street: 20 or more motorcycles! Most of them were pretty noisy type. 3 had side cars and one looked different from all the rest. It had a back end on it that looked like the back of an old car. Some were driven by women, some by men with women hanging on behind, and all drivers were Q-Tips. While coming back this way from my walk, 4 of my friends from PA were lined up in their yard sunning. I jokingly asked them if they were waiting for a parade. None of us knew that one would be along shortly. What will happen here next, I wonder. No one knows.

I'm still waiting for news on my great nephew who was supposed to arrive in this world 2 hours ago. I'll post again when I hear something. I hope all is going well for mommy and son (oh yes, and proud papa and 2 sisters).

Winning a Little; Winning a Lot

I had to get back on the blog for just a minute and tell you that I won at Bingo tonight, not much, mind you, but I did win. I won the grand amount of $18! I spent $ 9.00 total so at least I got my money back plus. I'll take it. Now, I have enough to play again tomorrow night. I think I have won a total of $68 since we have been playing. Am I ahead of the game overall? Probably not but I'm having fun anyway. The point is to enjoy time with friends while winning a little.

I have a request to ask of my readers. My niece is going to the hospital tomorrow morning to have a third child, this time a little boy. The plan is for her to have a C section at 8:30 AM. I hope that you will keep her in your prayers. So far as we know, everything is fine and we don't anticipate any problems; however, your prayers can never hurt. I'll let you know how things went as soon as I hear something. Now, having a child is no small feat: I call that Winning a lot!

Joking Around at Wally World

I gotta share this with you, it was so funny. 6 of us friends went down to D Q for lunch and then to the local Wal-Mart. As Don and I were leaving through the first set of doors, one of our friends was sitting on the bench reading some brochures. When he saw us, he threw all of the brochures into our buggy. Well, not knowing that we knew each other, the man sitting beside him looked so shocked and when we glared at our friend, Bo, and told him that wasn't nice, the man's eyes grew big as saucers as he started squirming just knowing we were going to fight. Don and I started on out the second set of exit doors. Just before going out, I turned around and, with a scowl, looked at Bo and said, "If I knew who you were, I would slap your face!" then I turned and walked out. Later, Bo came out just laughing because the man never knew that we tease each other all the time and thought we may really ambush Bo later and beat the stuffing out of him! The man came out of the store later, saw Don and me standing there like we were waiting for Bo who had turned around and gone back in the store. To make things even funnier, the Wal-Mart Security Guard was walking around near us when the man came out of the store, looking as if he were going to prevent a fight when Bo returned! That was a big laugh for today. What will happen next?

A scary thing then happened while we were standing outside awaiting our ride. An older lady came out, started across the street and fell down directly in the path of an oncoming vehicle. Fortunately, the driver was able to stop the car in time and waited for her to get up. The sad part was that no one who was passing by her went over to help her get up. Kind of reminds you of the Good Samaritan with the exception that there was no good Samaritan to stop by. How sad when we cannot even help a person in distress in the middle of the day and in the middle of a parking lot! Folks, we just gotta start doing better.

Happy Birthday to "Valentine"

This morning, I wanted to get on the air early and tell you all about a certain lady who has a birthday today. It was 48 years ago (I think) when my first niece, Teresa, came into this world. (I may forget the exact year, but I'll never forget that day). I recall going to the local clinic and sitting in the waiting room with her dad. I remember that, when I saw her, I thought she was the most beautiful little baby I had ever seen, and sooo tiny! She had a head full of dark brown hair like her mom and she looked like a little doll!

As she grew up, she just got prettier and prettier and today, she is still as pretty as ever. She was not a lot younger than my younger sister, so when Val was outside playing, Teresa would often be with her, sometimes too near her; in fact, when Val was swinging a bat one day, Teresa was standing too near her. Oh no! when Val swung the bat, she made contact with Teresa's front teeth! Needless to say, she lost those 2 baby teeth but she was so cute anyway. We would ask her what her name was and after telling us her full name (and adding her mom's maiden name), she would close with "and I'm a little valentine". That she was and is.

Teresa is now grown and has her own 2 special daughters, neither of whom is a valentine but very special teenage girls. Teresa has worked diligently all of her adult life to provide for her family a happy life, one free of worries about the next meal or what they would wear or where they would sleep. She is very dedicated to her parents, siblings, and family members and can always be counted on when needed.

Teresa is very, very talented! She can paint, wall paper, and decorate like a professional, therefore, putting others like me to shame. She can make beautiful things like decorative wreaths, etc. If you can't tell, I'm very impressed with my niece, her talents, and her devotion to her family. ( I'm also impressed with her choice of a "significant other")

So, on this day, I praise God for giving me such a special niece. Thank you for keeping me informed through the web; thank you for being so dedicated to my sister and brother-in-law; thank you for being there, for being a caring individual, for just being you, a special valentine!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Baby, it's cold outside!

It is so weird that a few days ago I wrote about the very elderly people in the adjacent park and this morning, the rescue squad came in there 3 times, one of whom passed away. There is so much happiness and gaity in the park here; yet, in another sense, it can be depressing due to the high death rate next door. It's kind of like being promoted to the oldest class at Sunday School. Many of us won't go up because everyone knows that from there, you move to the cemetery. Even though we are Christians, we are content to hang around here so long as possible. It reminds one of the little boy who was asked if he wanted to go to heaven and he said no. When questioned further, he admitted that he did want to go to heaven someday but he thought they were getting up a bus load right now. Be ready, everyone, but like the little boy, we don't have to want to catch the next bus load.

On a happier note, my brother and his wife left the park today to return home for the birth of their 10th grandchild due Feb. 15. This is to be their 7th grandson. Best wishes to Joette as she brings a new son into the world Wednesday. We learned, after leaving around 5:00 AM, my brother drove straight through and arrived home around 7:00 PM. tonight. It's cold here tonight, in the low 30's, but they are going to feel the low 20's there before morning! I urged them not to bring the colds or flu back South with them when they return in a couple of weeks. I hope that all of you will stay warm and cozy tonight.

Where Am I?

I woke up this morning shivering but couldn't figure out why until I turned on the TV to the local station. The first thing I heard was that we were in a frost watch! WHAT? A what kind of watch here in Southern US? Yes, it was in the low 40's! But that is nothing; tonight, we are having another frost watch and the temperature is to drop into the mid-thirties! This is unusual for the deep,deep South and everyone is concerned about their flowers, fruit, and plants. I'm so glad that I brought an extra warm jacket with me because I needed it today and tomorrow. The good news is that by Thursday, temperatures are expected to be in the upper 70's and possibly 80. I think that will be a good day to visit the islands and hunt for seashells.

We had a visitor at church this morning speaking on character building. There are 49 character qualities, including benevolence, compassion, discretion, forgiveness, gratefulness, humility, loyalty, reverence, self-control, and sensitivity. Character First is the curriculum they use to home school their 10 children. Believe me, it must work because I have never seen more polite, interesting, family oriented children than these. It's amazing to observe them. The curriculum was designed after the program used by a company in Oklahoma City, which, after training their employees, the success of the company was unsurpassed. Their key belief is that if everyone practiced good character, our world would thrive in peace. I think we all need to strived to achieve these 49 character qualities. If interested, let me know and I will list all 49 in another blog.

Surprised in the Park

My special entertainment happened unexpectedly this afternoon. While I sat relaxing and reading a book, I heard music which sounded like a parade here in the park. I thought, no, not in the park. There was no reason for a parade, especially since there had not been one announced. The music grew louder so I looked down the street. Sure enough! There came a parade! Not the usual parade, however; no, it was a parade of 20 odd golf carts! They were carrying flags, banners, and sporting all sorts of blinking lights. On the back was a lighted valentine. The riders were all dressed in red and some were imitating Cupid (with clothes of course). (Fortunately, the rain held off until after the "impromptu" parade.) Anyway, it was neat to see this! Who knows what will happen around here next. No one does when you have a park full of fun-loving Q-tips running around. One hour, you see some senior making jokes and, unfortunately, during the next hour you may see a rescue squad entering the park. There are so many elderly people in the adjacent park, many of whom are in really bad shape that anything can happen at any time. I think everyone in our park is in fairly good health. Of course, most people here are a bit younger, too.

Today was flea market day in many of the parks. We enjoyed the one here in our park, then went to another to see what they had. I did buy a book from a man who was a survivor of a concentration camp in Germany during WWII. He was very interesting to listen to as he explained some of the horrible things he endured as a child which looking for his mom from whom he had gotten separated. I'll let you know if the book is worthwhile reading when I finish it.

Walking with a DVD

Question: What do you write about when nothing exciting has happened? I can tell you that I am very, very sore tonight! Today, I exercised my 30 minutes this morning; I walked a mile around the park; 5 of us gals went to Target and walked around there for 1 and a half hours where I bought a walking DVD. There are 3 different levels but they all walk a mile; yet, they are not just stepping in place. You are instructed to do other things along the way. I was able to do the "easy walking" level but it seemed like more than a mile (15 minutes). The second level is called "Fat blasting interval one-mile walking" which works the upper and lower body as well. (I was able to do the activities but ran out of gas quickly!) The third level is the "power one-mile walking and toning". For this level, I need to buy some weights. I'll be awhile getting to this although, once again, I could do some of these had I not been so tired by now. Lastly, the DVD offered a 10-minute stretching time. Some of these are pretty tough and I may never be able to do all of these. Many I can do though; however, I may have to take a nap first from having done so much prior to this!!

Now, if I can just get up from this chair and get ready for bed, I'll be talking to you tomorrow! Ouch!!!!! Ugh!!! H..E...l.....p..........................................!!

I'll be good tomorrow

As an update on my good friend, Jackie, I did call her this morning and learned that she did come through the surgery fine. She is very groggy and in pain but she was very coherent. I had problem hearing her (and Kendra would say that she knew I would have problems since I cannot hear well to begin with). I was so happy to hear that Jackie was doing as well as could be expected. I want to thank my blog friends who said a little prayer for her. I know that helped.

This morning I talked with a friend here in the park and she was very upset after learning that her granddaughter was having serious hip problems. She may have to undergo another surgery on them. Please keep this 29-year-old mom who has 2 small children in your prayers too. Your prayers are so powerful! Thanks!

Today, Don and I rode through many rural roads in Florida and enjoyed seeing all the orange groves. We also observed lots of last year's hurricane damages too. We stopped at a famous restaurant which serves sinful homemade pies: key lime, chocolate, coconut, apple, peanut butter. (Yum! Does that make your mouth water?) They were really big slices too. Now, I have to try to stay awake until bedtime; I would love to take a nap so those calories could find a resting place, but no, I've been bad today so I must continue with the stepping. (I did my 30 min. exercise, walked a mile, and rode my bike a mile today so I haven't been totally bad, yet, not totally good either!) I promise to do better tomorrow.

Thoughts of a Friend

This morning I'm writing this blog with good thoughts and well wishes for a dear friend of mine. Actually, Jackie was my very best friend all through high school. Yesterday, she had back surgery and I have not heard the outcome yet. I do want to ask my blog readers to remember Jackie in their prayers. I'm sure she is in lots of pain. I can't go see her because I'm about 900 miles from her now. I will call to check on her. According to Jackie's email, she has Lumbar Spinal Stenois with Spondylolisthesis and Instability or Mallalignment of the Lumbar Vertebrae at L4,L5, and C1. She will have home health assistance when she gets home for maybe 2 weeks. Please keep her in your prayers.

I plan to try to blog again later today. Have a great day, everyone!

I won but I lost!

You have got to love this one. As you know, I have been trying very hard to lose weight and have been walking, riding my bike, cutting back on sweets, and going to a 30-minute exercise class every day. I have lost no weight at all however. Last night was Bingo night so several of us girls rode our bikes to the recreation hall to try to win some money. Needless to say, none of us won any cash. Following the halftime break, they call door prizes, $10 prizes and a few little prizes. Wouldn't you know my number was called: I won but I lost! Just guess what the prize was: not a $10. bill, not a flower arrangement, not a gift certificate to the Shrimp Shack. No, I won a huge Hershey chocolate bar, a really big one! It probably has 2,000 calories in it! Now, I love chocolate so you know I will have to eat some. One of my friends who is also on a diet and won some Hershey Kisses actually flushed hers down the toilet! Oh, if only I had such will power!! Then, today, I heard that the results of a 10-year study did not justify a low-fat diet for women over 62. I think I may just have to enjoy being pleasantly plump!

Who and Whose are You?

It's Tuesday and I'm feeling fine, mighty fine! I just got back from the PO where I mailed valentines to my family members. I'm missing some addresses so that makes it difficult to send some (I have to make a phone call to get these addresses).

This is Bingo night coming up and I feel like I should win something. Even if I don't, it won't deter my mood. Why am I happy? I'm alive! Yes, just to be alive and able to talk, to smile at passersby, to wave a friendly hello, to see the sun shining, to hear the breeze gently causing my drying clothes to flutter, to enjoy the salty taste of the salty air on a sandy beach, to feel the warmth of a handshake, and, lastly, to get in those dreaded 10,000 steps! Just as the pastor who spoke at Coretta Scott King's funeral said, I know who and whose I am! I hope all of you know who and whose you are. It certainly makes for a happy feeling. Sometimes I don't really seem to know who I am but when I stop and remember whose I am, it causes me to delight in the day. I pray that you, too, feel the same delight for the same reason.

Thanks, Guys!!

I hope you enjoyed the Super Bowl as much as I did. Both teams played very well and either would have deserved to win; however, I'm happy to see the Steelers pull it out since the Panthers didn't make it to the final game. I believe everyone in the park was pulling for Pittsburgh. Of course, probably 1/3 of the people here are from PA, MI, OH, IN,WV, MD, and other nearby states to PA.

While we are snowbirding, my daughters, granddaughter and her boyfriend, son-in-law are busy remodeling our bathroom. If you don't believe that is a job, read Kendra's blog! Of course, she is less than subtly fussing at me for my 24-year smoking habit. Hey, but I was able to lay them down almost a year ago with little problem. I used to smoke at an earlier age but quit a year and a half before the children were born. I had no problem laying them down then either. It's just a matter of really making up one's mind and having a reason for wanting to quit. My reason the first time was to have my family. Then I didn't start back until 1982 when I was teaching in college and all the other profs were smoking and blowing smoke in my face. Last summer, I quit because I didn't want to expose my little grandchildren and I really just didn't like the expense, etc. If you are a smoker and you really want to quit, have a reason that really makes a difference for you, something that you think more of than you do the habit. Then you can be successful. Now, my problem is weight. Eating too much is also a tough habit to break.

Back to the remodeling, I really appreciate my children, granddaughter,son-in-law, and significant others for the work they are doing at my home. I think they are absolutely great! I wish all of my readers have a family who takes such good care of them and love them. I surely love mine and thank God every day for allowing me to be their mom and grandmom. Thanks, Guys!

Another Sunday that was Super

Yesterday, I was unable to get my blog page up so there was no blog. Now, I'm back on the air, hopefully from now on. Perhaps it was because of the horrible storms we had that made the blog unaccessessible. It rained so hard and the wind blew so dangerously here that some of the motorcoaches lost their awnings. We had rolled ours up but we did have a leak to occur around the front slide-out. I have a small fan that we turned on the wet area for several hours and dried it out. Don says he will be removing the window and doing some heavy caulking when we get home.

At church this Super Sunday morning, we continued our study of the Apostles' Creed, the ascension into Heaven. The main point today is that Jesus had to ascend to Heaven in order that we could receive the Holy Spirit. It was so cute when the pastor asked the congregation why Jesus ascended and a little 5-year-old girl answered correctly: "so the Holy Spirit could come down". I was impressed! I hate to admit that I didn't know nearly so much of the Bible at an even older age! And to interpret Scriptures would have been next to impossible for me.
Next Sunday, we will have visitors speaking on character building.

Super Bowl XL is on now. I'm a Steelers fan so I have to leave and go pull for them. I hope, if you are a football fan and you are watching the game, that your team will win. If not, remember, next year you will have another opportunity to win. Personally, I watch the games every year but I cannot remember who won last year. I imagine that holds true for many of you. Do you remember who has won in the past 10 years? If so, remind me. I know that Tampa Bay won a couple years or so ago. I remember because I was near Tampa and everyone around was pulling for them (so was I but I don't remember who they played). It's kind of like our problems. Once they are solved, we tend to forget them. When we get over being upset with someone, we usually forget why we were upset. That's most often a football game to me. We just need to let it go and keep on going. I hope every Sunday (and every day) will be super for you.

Dancing with the Stars

It's a dark, dreary day here today, almost spooky looking, and then I heard that we are in a tornado watch. I am one who likes virtually every kind of weather: rainy, sunny, cool to cold, warm to hot; however, I prefer neither windy nor tornadic conditions, nor hurricanes, flooding, nor earthquakes. I have lived in the midwest where tornadoes were a frequent condition. When we first moved there, I wouldn't go many miles from the house for fear a tornado would touch down. We also lived in Panama for several years and several earthquakes occurred and tidal waves were predicted. We also lived in the Southeast where there are many hurricanes. I suppose there is some scary weather everywhere. (I wonder, what kind of weather is most frightening in your area of the world?)

On a lighter note, can you believe that we Q-tips went dancing this morning at 9:30 AM! I'm having a difficult time believing it! One of the parks nearby has a group of about 20+ men, many of whom were actually star musicians, who get together every Friday morning and play Big Band and Swing music. They are really great, too. I understand that one member actually played with Guy Lombardo Band (for those of you who remember who that was). The ages of those in attendance ranged from 4 to 95! I thought one of the best dancers was the 95-year-old lady. The question is, where will you and I be when we are 95. I hope that I will be able to dance and still enjoy life. If not here, I plan to be dancing "with the stars" down those golden streets, perhaps on the arm of Gene Kelly, Fred Astaire, or maybe Patrick Swayze!

A groundhog birthday

As you know, the groundhog saw his (or her) shadow today, so there will be 6 more weeks of winter. Something else happened today, I think about 38 years ago. A little girl named Jerette peeked into this world and ever since, she has been lighting up my world! Yes, Jerette has been a good buddy of mine. She may not want to hear this, but once, when I was at the high school where she attended, some girl whom I didn't know, came up to me and asked if I knew Joette. I said yes and she then asked if I was her mother that we looked just alike. I told her that I was her aunt. Others believe that she looks much like my youngest son and that may be true. (I know they are very good buddies).

Before she started her family, she went on business trips with me. I remember our trips to the beach one Spring. We played Miniature Golf, did a lot of eating, laughing, talking and just being nuts! Even today, we sometimes get together for lunch. You see, I no longer work but she does (sorry about that, Jerette! heehee) so we have to meet whenever it's convenient for her. Well, she won't be working outside the home for awhile because she is due to have her third bundle of joy. Jerette has 2 cute little girls and will be bringing a little brother ( I heard that Mayci wants a sister though) home for them to spoil on Feb. 15 (almost a Valentine). There will be a baby shower happening Saturday but I won't be there to brighten her day; sorry, I'm too far away.

Happy Birthday, Jerette! May you have many more! I know that you will enjoy next year much more when you will be able to get around better. Take it easy and enjoy the day!

On a Roll!

Day # 2: I made it again!! Can you believe it? How did I do it this time? I walked around the park twice, attended my 30-minute exercise class, and walked the park 2 more times. Tonight, after a great shrimp dinner, we went to Lowe's store and walked around for a hour. I completed 12,812 steps!! I am so proud of me. Of course, it won't be long before this routine is boring I'm sure. Katja suggested nordic walking but I'm not familiar with that. I hope you will explain it to me, Katja.

No Bingo tonight, only Tuesday and Wednesday nights. Rachel, your grandmother sounds like my kind of grandma. Do you suppose that magic Bingo dust or a lucky Bingo chair will help me? I'm game for anything. I've done most things in my 67 years, except I never parasailed, bungee jumped, went sky diving, or snow skiing (I was a slolum queen though! and I could dance a great jig until I broke my leg). At any rate, I'm better now and I'm on a roll!!

I did it!

I know I'm late blogging tonight but I had to go play Bingo in the adjacent village recreation hall. I don't know why I feel like I have to go every Tuesday and Wednesday nights since I usually lose. It's just something all the ladies around here do and we have more fun just being together than we do actually playing. Now Sandy would probably disagree with that statement. She won $55.00 tonight and I'm sure that was more fun than just being with us.

I have to tell you that I made my goal today: 10,000 steps!!!Yeah! I was surprised to hear this little "alarm" going off when the magic number rolled over! I can't figure out why it has an alarm on it like that unless they manufacturer thinks whoever hits the mark may need to be resusitated! (Now, that's something to think about). You may ask how I made the grade today. I walked over a mile, went to my exercise class which involves many steps, went to the outdoor flea market which required lots of steps, walked around Winn-Dixie, rode my bike 2 miles at which time about 200 steps were picked up (not enough but I let it go), and then walked around the park again. It was 5:00 pm before I succeeded! That's devoting almost an entire day just to stepping! Now, it's bedtime and I know I have to get up in the morning and do it all over again. Do you think I can keep this up very many days? Can you provide any kind of encouragement for me? I need help! At least, now I know I can do it because today I did it!!