Let's Meet and Eat

The retirement reception today was really wonderful. It was attended by so many of the retirees with whom I worked, some of whom I had not seen since I retired, some I see occasionally at a restaurant, and some whom I see on a regular basis. Some are much younger than I but most are quite a bit older; yet, they still love to "meet and eat". I saw one of my old friends who hasn't retired but who is now working with Clay Aiken, the should-have-been American Idol. He really has a great job now, wouldn't you say? So you see, we had no celebrities present but we had some who are "close to" celebrities. A power point presentation was shown which played "Thanks for the Memories" in the background. The photos made us happy to recall and yet sad that those days are long gone. We cannot bring back any of those wonderful times, but it's oh, so great just to sit among old friends and recall the fun we had. We remembered the tears, the sweat, the late nights working, the cold dinners, the children calling their moms and wanting to know when we would be home. While we were making memories of working, we were also regretting the times spent away from our families. We all worked very long and hard in our profession, many of those hours I do regret being away from home. We thought we were indispensible but we weren't. We had to grow older and retire to realize we could and were replaced. (in fact, one of them today has already been replaced and she attended the reception!) Now that we know we can be replaced so quickly and easily, I think I will just do my own thing (and that's whatever I want to do! And meeting and eating is one of my favorite "own things"! ...Yes!)

Be Elite!

I received an invitation today to attend a retirement reception for 3 people in my office where I used to work. Wow! I remember when one of them had only a few years of experience and now they are retiring!! Life goes by so swiftly and the older one becomes, the faster it spins. A word to the young and still employed: enjoy your days; don't wish them away because you cannot get them back; work hard at whatever you do; accomplish all you can; and, build those memories! I'm going to that reception tomorrow and I'll put on my best smile and happiest face. Then I'll look them square in the eyes and say: "Welcome to the elite group! Now, put on your tennis shoes and join the fun!"

Little Boys...made of trucks & dozers, NOT snakes & snails & puppy dog tails!

We had the privilege of keeping our little 3-year-old grandson this morning because he was running a fever and couldn't go to the sitter's with the other children. I was so happy to see him, yet so sorry that he felt so bad. For the first 2 or more hours, he sat in his papa's lap and listened to him read a book about dozers. Later, when he asked me to read it, I identified one of the pieces of construction incorrectly. Clay didn't hesitate to correct me and tell me that the piece of machinery was a backhoe. He, like many little boys, seems to love bulldozers, big trucks, motor graders, etc., and he can identify all of them I think. His birthday was Sunday but he was too sick to even enjoy the day. I waited until today to give him his presents which were, by the way, trucks, dozers, backhoes, etc! He was thrilled over those. He was also thrilled over the bag which had Incredibles all over it and he does love the Incredibles!
I had hoped that Clay would feed his cold and starve his fever today (or is it starve a cold and feed a fever? My mom used to say that all the time but I can never remember which way it goes. Unfortunately, I don't enjoy starving anything so that saying never seemed to work for me). Clay would think he wanted something particular to eat but when I would give it to him, it just wasn't the right thing. We never hit on the food that he would eat. He did drink a little Sprite but nothing else. I hope he's better tomorrow; it's so difficult seeing a sick child. I'll keep him in my prayers and ask you to join me.

God Has a Sense of Humor... Do You?

I hope that you are well and happy today. I must admit that I am not hitting on 100 because I have caught this awful sinus cold that is going around the neighborhood. It's been tolerable except for the nasal congestion but today, the post nasal drip is causing me a cough. (How do you like this blog? I'm finished with that now, as Minnie Pearl used to say).

Yesterday, my dear friends, Fern and Connie (fictitious names) gave some of us a chuckle at church (you may need to know them to chuckle with us and appreciate the humor). Fern stood us just as we were going to our classes and made this announcement: "Last Sunday, I wore a black jacket to church and hung it on the rack in the vestibule...now, I know someone picked it up by accident so if you would please bring it back to me, I would appreciate it." Several of us chuckled and pointed at Connie who had on a black jacket. Connie immediately shook her head and said, "this is my jacket!" Since we like to tease both these ladies and they are both great sports, we have discussed the possibility of seeing how many of the ladies we could get to wear black jackets to church next Sunday. Connie is teased almost every Sunday by Joe, who likes to move her cushion she leaves on her pew in her "place" to a different location. She says that she is going to will him her cushion since he wants it so badly!! Now I ask, why not take good, clean humor to the church? There's no question that God enjoys a sense of humor. There is so much around us that we can enjoy with a good chuckle and I think God intended for us to do just that, don't you?

No Business...Just Busy

I have no business to go to; I have no outside job; I have no things that I HAVE to do. Yet, I just stay busy. I've heard it said many times that once you retire, you are busier than when you work. Actually, I'm not busier (like working), I'm just busier doing whatever I want to do!!!!!!!! And, what fun that is, let me tell you! Other than keeping our granddaughter Monday (that was fun), my friend and I have traveled to a nearby town to visit one of my favorite restaurants. Of course, while there, I had to pick up new faucets, new towel racks and towel rings, etc., from Lowe's. Do you realize that a good towel rack (solid brass, double rod) cost $50?? I was so surprised!! I only bought one of those! Another day, I had to visit Wally World to purchase a few smaller items for the "Ritzy Room". (We also had to eat at another favorite hamburger place that I missed so much while in Florida).
My sister and I are planning a scrapbooking party, organizing a raffle for our Relay for Life team, assisting in the church Easter Egg Hunt for the children, and registering members for our Church Women's Relay for Life team. I had to oversee the delivery of chairs for our new church fellowship hall on Thursday, Choir Practice on Wednesday night, and Baptist Women's meeting on Tuesday. So you see the kind of work I've been busy with?...all fun things! Thus... the title of my blog: "Just for Fun"!!! Let me recommend this life to you, my friends. It's wonderful (most of the time)!

Fun Day with a 3-Year-Old

I don't know what happened to my last couple of blogs so I will try again. Let me start by saying, I am really enjoying our new "Ritzy" bedroom! When I awoke Saturday morning, it took me a moment to realize that I was not in some high dollar, high society hotel suite! It is beautiful, so beautiful that it's taking me awhile to get used to it. Both Saturday and Sundy, I awoke thinking of was truly a guest Ritz. (I kept waiting for room service but it never came, such a pity! heehee). I wish every parent had children as great as ours (I know many do but we are so proud of ours and feel so blessed by God).

Yesterday, we had the privilege to babysit our granddaughter, Livvy, who had a fever. She was such an entertainment for us. Here are a few of the highlights of the day: first, she had to eat breakfast with us (again) then the conversations began to roll; I was washing clothes and she told her Papa that she had to go show me how to do it; later, when she had to use the potty, she observed the wallpaper which has ivy on it, and she asked, " Is that Jack's beanstalk?"; at lunch, she came in with the Bible and before she began eating, she opened it and said, "God bless old men and Papa...Bless MaBoo too"; while eating, Livvy had to exclaim that "it is delicious! I need more pickles." She couldn't finish her lunch right then, however, because "I have to go see the rest of the 'Doodle Dots' before the program goes off". She is such a hoot!! All day, she educated her grandparents about life through the eyes of a very grown-up, very intelligent, just turned three-year-old! What a fun day!!!!!!!!!

Wow...Beautiful!!!!!!

We're home at last! We had a good trip home even though it took us 5 days to get here. Actually, that was planned since we wanted to stop along the way and enjoy the beach for a few days. Traveling weather was very good although it was a bit breezy. It's great to be home again after 2 months. We saw our daughter and 2 of our grandchildren before they left going on their camping trip. They were so cute! Livvy couldn't hug us enough and Clay was so sweet as he turned his cheek for his kisses. He had to tell me about the redecorating in our bedroom, especially the antique stained glass. We were so pleasantly surprised by the changes the children made in our bedroom and dressing room while we were away. Now I know how the people on TV feel when they come home to the many changes in their home. It looks entirely different! It's beautiful though, as you will see if you go over to Kendra's blog link and look at the photos she has posted. We are so impressed with our children and in-laws and their many, many talents. Please take a look and appreciate all their special talents. Thank you for your love! And thanks, Clay and Livvy, for helping!

What I'm Going to Miss

It's now Sunday evening and we have most of our things put away for the trip. Tomorrow morning, we will have to load our bicycles, wash up breakfast dishes, and put away a few little items before we're ready to travel. Don wants to leave by 8:00 AM. and that may be possible since we said our goodbyes to most of our friends tonight. It's really tough to leave the friends that you have lived so close to for the past 2 months. I'll miss a lot of the activities around here, some of which I have listed below:
1. Getting up each morning, opening the blinds at 7:30 AM and seeing all the folks walking around and chatting with one another;
2. Walking the mile around the park and greeting and being greeted by strangers and acquaintances;
3. Being with all my new friends at my 9:00AM exercise class;
4. Riding my bike around both parks;
5. Playing Bingo on Tuesdays and Wednesdays;
6. Enjoying the monthly ice cream socials;
7. Eating out with friends at different restaurants, especially the Shrimp Shack;
8. Sitting under the awnings with friends;
9. Playing harmless jokes and teasing each other; and,
10. Listening to Pastor Jon at church on Sunday morning and enjoying his family's talents.

We learned that one family who left Friday had an awful accident yesterday and totaled their truck and their tag-a-long trailer. They were very blessed when none of them were badly injured, just bruises I understand. Traffic is terrible everywhere now. I ask that you keep us in your prayers as we travel north for the coming week.

Unless I can get the WiFi at the next RV parks, I will be off the air until next weekend. I pray that all of you "blogees" will have a great week... Be happy... May God bless you all real good!

First of all, let me say that I made a mistake in my last blog in which I said my daughter was 4 months younger than my nephew, Marc, who was having a birthday today. I knew better; I just blogged it backwards (hmm, I don't think I'm dyslexic). Anyway, for the books, my daughter, Kendra is 4 months older than Marc (everyone who knows them knows it was an honest mistake).

Now, on to today's blogging:
People all around us are beginning to clean up around their RV's and put up grills, outdoor rugs, some of their lawn chairs, tables, lampposts with their names, etc. It seems that the Ides of March carries some kind of special meaning for folks other than Julius Caesar. Many snowbirds will start their trek back up North. We will be leaving Monday morning so we have begun cleaning up a few things but more will be done tomorrow. One of our neighbors from home, Sammie and Dottie, are leaving early tomorrow morning; Bo and Rose are leaving Sunday morning; Tom and Velma are leaving with us on Monday (they are stopping in Orlando to be with his daughter). Two of our other friends are leaving Wednesday but my brother, Earl and his wife Etta are staying until the end of March. It's supposed to be getting warmer here now and today was one of them. I should have perspired a pound today when I was exercising because of the humidity.

Speaking of hot, I had to work to keep my cool at Wally World today. I was in a line where the people in front of me bought 2 overflowing carts full of clothes, etc. No problem. When they finally finished (they maxed out 2 credit cards I think), I had my things on the belt when the cashier announced that she was going to lunch. She put in her secret codes, took out her cash drawer and left! Then another lady did come and open up after she spent a few minutes putting in her secret codes and inserting her cash drawer. Since we cannot cash checks here because our checking accounts are not in their local banks, most of us use a card and request cash back. I made the mistake of doing that today. Guess what...the cashier had no cash to give me since she had just opened. I had to wait about 10 + minutes for another clerk to bring me my cash. All of this took at least 30-40 minutes and I had 2 ladies sitting outside waiting for me! This experience tested my ability to stay calm and happy. Since the cashier smiled a lot, apologized a lot, and wished me a better rest of the day, I couldn't help but leave the store with a smile. What a difference one can make by being cheerful...I learned a good lesson today!

Quiet but Powerful

I have to take just a minute to blog about a nephew of mine. Marc is quite a guy. He's one whom you would hardly know was in the room with you if you were waiting to hear him speak. When he does speaks, however, he is very soft-spoken; but when you look at him you will observe a most powerful smile, one that makes you know he cares about you, that he is sincere, that he would always be there for you if needed. I know that when I have been very ill in the past, he took the time when leaving work to stop by to check on me and share a warm hug. (I know when I was in the hospital recently, he came by but I had been moved to a different hospital). Although I don't see Marc very often since he's grown up and married, I believe he is a nephew on whom I could call if needed. I have always had special feelings for Marc; he has been a good friend to my son and my daughter who is only 4 months younger than he. Not only is he a wonderful young man; he is a handsome young man (just like my son) with gentlemanly manners and courtesy. I'm so proud to claim Marc as my nephew...HAPPY BIRTHDAY (March 10), MARC!

My Color...It Belongs to Me

I was sitting by the window early this morning drinking my "wake-up without caffeine" coffee when I looked out and saw a golf cart arriving pulling a three-wheel bicycle behind. He stopped at the RV beside us where Bo lost his bike and asked if it was his. His wife, Rose, said no. Then another car drove up and said it was hers. The man asked how she knew it was hers. She said, "because it's red". He then asked what brand hers was, if it had any distinguishing marks, etc. She said she didn't know the make. All she knew was that it was red. That was not enough info to suit him and, when Rose told him that the lady diagonally across from us lost hers, he drove to her place. She came out and identified it definitely as hers. So, one down and 6 to go. The thieves didn't return last night but we haven't given up on them yet. This bike was found in the adjacent woods to the park.

I watched Barry Manilow on PBS tonight and I was wowed by his singing of many 50's hits. I'm impressed but 50's music is my favorite of all time! To me, it's impossible to surpass songs such as "Love is a Many Splendored Thing", "Unchained Melody", "Venus", etc. Great music!

2 Nights of Thieves in the Park

The thieves were out again last night! It seems they have found an easy place to steal bicycles because they took 4 more last night, making a total of 7 in two nights. I wonder if they will return tonight. I doubt it because there are a few guys who say they are staying up all night tonight. In fact, someone said that one guy said he may have some buckshot ready. I think he said that hoping to scare them away.

Tonight, I went to play Bingo but didn't win anything. I did buy some scratch-offs just to see if I could win anything. Guess what...I won $82 plus a free ticket! I won't get into the habit of that because you cannot win at those things in the long run. The odds will beat you every time (well, maybe there are a very few who win big but most don't).

I hope that you will go over to Kendra's blog and see her pictures of some of my children and grandchildren speluncking! I was so happy to learn that they were back above ground. The photos are very good though and they had a great time. Click on the link at the left to go there.

Bluegrass Music: A Little is Enough

I just saw the bike parade pass by but it was shorter tonight and much faster, probably because the temperature has dropped to about 58 and the wind is blowing at 10+MPH! I know that's not cold compared to home since my friend just called and said it was dropping to 20 there tonight. That makes our 48 tonight sound warm, doesn't it?
Our picnic was very, very good; at least the food was. The entertainment was fine if you like bluegrass but after 30 minutes, I had had enough. The entertainers were a family of 12: mother, dad, 9 boys and 1 girl. (our park seems to have a lot of large families around here). Some of them were too young to participate but the ones 10 and older were very talented; in fact, 3 of them had won 2nd place in competitions for mandolin, banjo and fiddle. Quite impressive.
We have no bingo tonight because of the picnic and I hate that, especially since this was our last night to play in this park this year. Who knows, I probably wouldn't have won anyway. It's just a time to get together with friends and that's what I really miss.
Bikes have not been found but they were reported to the police. I'm sure they will never be found though.

Thieves were Out Last Night

Even before 9:00 PM, some people were out stealing bicycles! Bo next door had his red bike stolen; then the 2 campers diagonally across the street from us had theirs stolen. One of those was a three-wheel bike. I'm surprised they didn't take the one across from us since it was conveniently sitting very close to the street. Maybe the thieves just took pity on him since he had his stolen last year. We make a point to lock ours each night; in fact, we chain them to the RV so they would have a really tough time stealing this big ensemble! The guys went out riding last night and again this morning trying to find the thieves. Needless to say, they had no luck. Now Bo has gone looking again. Personally, I think it's a lost cause unless he has some definite identification on the bike which I don't think he does. The guys ride their bikes so many miles per day that they could never do without them. I'll venture to say that Bo will have another one by the weekend, don't you?

Gotta get ready to go to the "free" picnic. Will blog about that later.

Good Eating...good fellowship

This evening, 10 of us good friends gathered in the neighbor's site and had a really neat time. (4 couples are friends from the same town in the north and the other couple is from Ohio.) Each couple bought their own steaks and Don and Bo grilled them. Bo made an excellent apple pie for our dessert! Then we sat around and enjoyed each other's company until the cool wind blew us all inside! I cannot believe it got so cool here in SW Florida before dark. The parade of 3 wheel bicycles went by but they were pedaling pretty fast; I guess they were in a hurry to get home. We will definitely turn on the heat tonight! Am I complaining? No, not when my family at home is dealing with wet and cold weather.

Tomorrow, the park is providing an RV Park Picnic for all the residents. Can you believe it; they are providing something which we don't have to pay for? There will be food, fun, fellowship, and entertainment beginning at noon. I'll tell you about it later. Stay warm tonight wherever you are!

Countdown begins

I made a boo-boo this morning when I didn't ask the neighbor ladies to go with Etta and me to the big Beall's store. Actually, I didn't plan to ask them since I was going specifically to pick up a birthday gift for one of them and I figured it would be easier by myself. My sister-in-law, Etta, didn't really go with me to this store. I dropped her off at another store and then she walked down to where I was later after I had finished my shopping. My friend's birthday is today so I had no time to waste. I also didn't want to embarrass the other ladies because they are not in the habit of exchanging gifts with Rose and me. We always exchange gifts at Christmas and birthdays. One of the husbands has taken them down for their final shopping day there since Monday is the 10% off- day and for an extra 15% off everything for senior citizens.

This morning, at the shuffleboard courts, a snowbird fell and cracked his head pretty badly, so badly that they had to call the rescue squad. One usually doesn't think of such an accident playing the game of shuffleboard but this guy had some other serious problems. It's getting closer to leaving time; maybe that's why the accidents are getting more and more frequent. The countdown has begun: we only have 6 more days to enjoy this warm weather.

Glad you're back!

This afternoon, I went over to visit a friend who lives in one of the park models on the other side of the park. She lives in New York state during the summer. When she came down in December, she found that her house had a serious problem: the humidifier had stuck and her house was practically ruined inside. Wallpaper was falling off the walls, carpets were wet and ruined, upholstered furniture was wet and mildewed. It was a mess. Now she is busy having everything replaced: walls, floors, furniture, appliances. You just cannot imagine! She contacted her insurance company and they will cover nothing..nada! She recently lost her husband and now this. Then, while she was here, her mobile home in NY lost its shingles during the 140-mile snowstorm. Believe it or not, she has adapted well now, considering everything. I am so thankful for my many blessings.

I was also very thankful to learn that my children and grandchildren had returned without any mishaps from their speluncking trip. I'm sure Kendra will tell you about it if you visit her site. My oldest daughter sent me a few photos of their adventure and they looked like they were having fun but they did look tired! What were you guys wearing?? I'm glad you are back safely!! Now, I can sleep well tonight.

Staying Cool in the Midst of Heat

Southwest Florida is a beautiful place to be this weekend. Temperatures are great, food is great (great Grouper), friends are great! I wish you were here to enjoy it with me. Some of the people have their grandchildren who are high school and college students visiting them now for Spring Break. I understand the beaches are very busy, especially this week and next.

We have several motorcycles in the park this winter; some quiet Gold Wings and some louder Harley-Davidsons. The noise bothers some but not me. The riders are very friendly and courteous. I thought our RV park was such a quiet place with nothing much happening until yesterday. I learned that the police have evicted one guy from the park because he has been harrassing some of the younger ladies. He has also been yelling at some of the other ladies asking for money when they walk by his site. Then, this afternoon, I learned that another couple was also evicted. It seems that they have been doing a lot of yelling at their neighbors. They also have a couple of birds in their RV which have been disturbing their neighbors. I'm so glad that we are at the opposite end of the park. It's quiet up here. We're near the gate and it seems that people with problems like to be in the back of the park. I don't understand what is happening all of a sudden. Perhaps people are getting frustrated because their time is almost up here and they will have to return to the cooler northern states. As for me, I 'm fine with it. Besides, I'm anxious to see my children, grandchildren, and other family and friends. My suggestion is that everyone stay cool in the midst of heat.

Tomorrow is Sunday. I hope all of you will visit the church of your choice. I just read the results of the latest survey which indicated that 86% of the people believe that we should keep the words, "In God We Trust" on our money and other places. Then, let's not let that 14% tamper with our heritage, our country, our faith. God bless you all real good!

Stay Safe

You won't believe this, but I actually waited 15 minutes before my blogging page would come up. I was ready to give up when it finally, finally appeared. And do you know what? I have no idea what I was going to blog about now. Because I had to wait, I am now a clean blogger! Yep, I had time to take a relaxing shower, which washed away my frustrations. You should try that the next time you get frustrated, anxious, or disgusted; works pretty well.

Forgive me for even mentioning this trivia but I am having pain in my little finger these days. One of my friends said, "You need to go to the doctor when you get home". I can't imagine myself going to the doc and saying, "Doc, I'm here because I'm having a little tingling and pain in my little finger". I'm not saying that my little finger isn't important but it will not be going to the doctor. It's just annoying and has been now for almost 2 months. But nah, not going to the doctor because of a little aggravation. I'm probably just straining using the computer or something like that. I am more concerned about a family friend who has REAL pains: Karen, I do hope you are feeling better and that your pain will soon be GONE for GOOD!

Another weekend has arrived and I trust that you have a wonderful 2 days planned. Whatever you decide to do, stay safe. I worry about 3 of my children and 3 of my grandchildren because I think they may be spluncking (sp). They will certainly be in my prayers this weekend even if I find out they are staying home and above ground level. Enjoy!!

Putting on the Ritz

Today was such a beautiful, warm day that we decided it was a great time for sightseeing, so Don and I drove north to Boca Grande. What a very pretty, very wealthy place to live. I doubt you could buy a Gulf side home unless you were worth a few mil. It costs $4.00 to drive over to the island. There, you have a great view of Sanibel Island too. Parking places along the narrow street is grassy and between palm trees! Very unique yet inviting. People who choose to eat in one of the outside restaurants we saw beside the golf course, probably don't worry about the costs of the meals like we would. Well, their cars were one indicator of their lack of financial worries; then, there were their yachts, and even their attire in the middle of a regular Thursday. If I were as rich as they, no question about it, I would be "putting on the Ritz" too!

From Boca Grande, we traveled farther north and detoured our trip to spend time at the local beaches. At Manatoga Beach, people are just beginning to buy the land and build huge homes on it. We had to drive under a canopy of trees through much of the Manatoga Beach Road (perhaps that's why they named the road "Canopy Road"). From there, we drove on to Venice before taking a different route South. The bridge across the river to Port Charlotte provides a beautiful of the area. At Punta Gorda, we drove to the Fisherman's Village which is a very quaint area with many neat shops and restaurants. (Much hurricane damage was still evident here and in Port Charlotte). There, we ate Grouper (Don liked his blackened and I chose the bronzed). Overall, just the two of us had a very nice day. I highly recommend a visit to Boca Grande, Port Charlotte, and Punta Gorda.

Moving is No Fun When You're Older

I must tell you first of all that I saw the most beautiful sunrise this morning! Yes, I was out sitting in front of the park office at 5:00AM along with about 25 more snowbirds. We all had on sweatsuits but as dawn arrived, the temperature began dropping (from 64 to 55) and I got chilled. I carried a cup of coffee and my lawn chair so I was in pretty good shape. Later, one of my friendly neighbors who has his site for 3 months brought me another mug. Then about 30 minutes later, another came to make sure that I was okay. Now, I call these friends who really care.
I was fourth in line so I didn't have to wait very long after the office opened at 7:00AM. Unfortunately, our favorite site was gone so they put us about 6 sites from the rest of our friends. I asked why they couldn't move some of the newcomers rather than taking our place. Anyway, a couple hours later, we had a note in our door that they had moved us just 2 sites away from the nearest friend. The site is not quite as wide but Don likes it better because it is a little more level. The biggest problem is that when you have been coming to the same park for 7 years and staying at the same site for 6-8 weeks, it feels like home away from home. I'm sure it will feel okay once we get used to it though. Moving is no fun when you're older and more set in your ways. It's kind of like church. We get used to sitting in a certain place and it just doesn't feel right to sit somewhere else. I know some folks who seem to get upset if you get their pew at church or worse yet, their parking place. We will adjust though. We always do.