Can't Beat the Heat

It is just too early to be so warm, don't you think? I much prefer temps in the 70's; this 85 is breaking some records I think; however, I do believe that weather changes occur in cycles, that God is still in charge, and that He will control our future whether we believe it or not. I am excited about the temp dropping into the 50's tomorrow; how refreshing that will feel.

Today, I attended a follow-up diabetes class at the local hospital. I think it's great that these classes are held and I suggest that anyone who is a diabetic or is like me with sugar that has risen since my heart attack, attend these classes. They are quite informative and supportive. I felt so blessed when I was one of 3 present today who takes a very low dosage of metformin. There were a couple who have serious problems, one with a pump and one who has been on insulin for years. They really have to monitor their sugar closely. I am realizing how very important it is for us/me to exercise more regularly. I will try to do better. Would you be on my support team? I'm now attending Weight Watchers (Friday is the beginning of my third week). It's really not too bad; I have a partner and we are trying to lift up each other when the going gets rough. My daughter, however, has been my strongest supporter. She keeps telling me that I can do it. (What would we do without family!)

Mainly Monday

Yep, today was mainly another Monday; nothing new, nothing different, nothing to write home about. That is, except that today was an exercise day for me because I over-indulged yesterday on my grandson's cake and ice cream. I walked 2 1/3 miles on my treadmill hoping to get some of those calories to go somewhere else. This afternoon, the grandies brought me home-made cards - I really enjoyed them because they had their pictures on them. I am such a proud granny!

I heard on the news today that having angioplasty may not be any better for you than just medication. Upon completion of a study with mostly men, one-half were treated with medication only while the other half had stents and medication. Results were the same. I still believe mine were necessary because I had a 99% blockage and a 94% blockage. The doctors did say that stents were probably necessary for serious blockages but that medication is needed to protect the rest of the heart. At least this study will cause cardiologists to be mose sure that their patients need the procedure.

I have to sign off once again wishing my grandson a happy 4th birthday! When I said happy birthday to him today, he smiled and said, "Happy Birthday". Okay; I guess that's a good response. So to all my readers, "Happy Birthday."

Busy...Busy

Yes, this has been a busy weekend for my family. First of all, my older daughter came for the weekend and she and I went to the nearby university where her daughter (my granddaughter) is a student in her senior year. Saturday night was the last dance performance so we were finally invited to attend one. Actually, my granddaughter had been keeping secrets from us as far as her dancing was concerned. We learned that, not only was she a dancer in the jazz and the tap companies, but she was also one of the two directors of all the companies; and, she was also one of the instructors. We were very proud of her accomplishments! And, she is really an accomplished dancer.

Tomorrow (the day of my deceased parents' wedding anniversary) is my youngest grandson's birthday so today was the day to celebrate with him. We rode over to his house on our golf cart and enjoyed watching the children as they enjoyed the wonderful summer-like weather. He was so funny as he opened his presents; he would show such excitement, then follow his aah's with "What is it?" The one gift he immediately recognized were the DVD's. Isn't it something? A few years ago, we didn't know what a DVD was; now, a 4-year old can identify it in its wrapping paper! Happy Birthday, C.R.!

A Childhood Buddy's Memory

Don was so excited when one of his boyhood chums called Tuesday night and told us that he and his wife were in the area and wanted to stop by. Every time I see this man, I remember the story that Don told me (and now shares with his children) about Wally's trip to Don's house with summer morning. It seems that Wally's mom was washing clothes one Monday morning using an antique-type washing machine; you know, the type that had the rollers that you pushed the clothes through to squeeze out the extra water. This particular morning, Mrs. G accidentally rolled her hand right into the rollers, on up to her arm! (OUCH!) She yelled for Wally to run over to Don's house and get his mom to come over and get her arm out of the monster machine. So, off Wally goes fast as his long legs would carry him, to Don's house. When he saw Don playing outside, Wally decides to stop and get involved with the fun activities, so they played and they played and they played some more. About a half-hour or more later, Don's mom stepped outside and saw that Wally was there playing with Don. She spoke to him, saying, "Hey Wally. How's your mom doing these days?" Wally looked at her with big, round eyes, and said, "Oh, yeah. Mama said for you to come over to the house and help her get her arm out of the washing machine!!" I doubt his mom would think that story funny, even after 60 years!! Don's mom had to laugh afterwards when everything turned out all right for his mom. This goes to show that you don't have to be very old to have a lapse in memory. Sometimes, though, our memory goes along with what is important to us at the time; and, that was playing for Wally. Often, I don't even know the reason I have memory lapses!

He Came Back

For those of you who read my last blog about Don playing the "Superhero": the answer is, yes, He came back. Alas, it was at least 30 minutes later that he rang the doorbell. I stood by the door for half of that time, then decided that I would have more fun watching Deal or No Deal or TV than watching out for his game antics (It was too dark to see anything other than a flashing light through the trees). He came back smiling, putting the safety on the pistol, and said he saw nothing worth "shooting"(??!!). I asked him if he conversed with the cops or the "drunks" but he said he only watched from afar and let them do their jobs. Heehee He's such a "man", a Wyatt Earp cowboy left over from the days of yore.

Going Home

Many of our friends are now going home from Florida. 4 of them said they drove home in inches of rain yesterday. They are excited about being home again, one couple remarked while babysitting their great-grandson for the weekend. Another couple is anxious to visit their favorite sandwich shoppe in the nearby town (of course, an added reason is that the wife meets her sister there weekly). Some of our friends who live farther North than we do are not going home for a few more weeks yet. And, my brother and his wife won't be coming home for 2 more weeks either. So many stay 3 months since that is the only way they can be guaranteed to retain their favorite site. As I have said before, Don and I just have to select a different favorite site each year because he refuses to stay that long and is annoyed that the owners can dictate that requirement to the winter residents. Yes, the folks from the far North, especially New York and the Canadian provinces, have no problems staying that long because of the longevity of the snowy season where they live; however, from the Carolinas north to PA, weather is not quite so extreme. They are trying to run us off I think and are hoping for snowbirds who would like to stay even 6 months. (There are some RV parks that are now requiring the length of stay in order to make a reservation! Not right, I say). We will continue to go and stay about 2 months only so long as we are able and they will allow that length of stay because, already, I miss my friends!

It's so nice to look out and see friends waving and smiling when we are in the park, even at 7:00 AM! Last night, my sister called and said,"I'll bet you don't know that there are 2 cops' cars parked in your driveway arresting 3 drunk men from Florida, do you?" The scary part is that no, we did not! We live off the highway and had no idea what was going on outside until she called. But, I live with "Superhero" who immediately took his pistol and strolled out to investigate! (Did I lock him out of the house while he was playing "cops and robbers"? You bet I did!)

Sparing the Rod

I guess everyone realizes how long it takes to get back in the groove of being home after a trip, especially one that is as extensive as ours was. With the unloading, etc., along with the time change, I just haven't been able to get settled back in. Don went to see his brother yesterday and came back unable to talk (I know, that could be an enjoyable experience at times but not when you are not feeling well). I think it must be allergies since he was all right when he left home. Nevertheless, he took a big dose of Nyquil last night and again this morning and he has been lying around the house all day. Of course, the rest isn't hurting him because he seldom slows down enough to do much resting.

What do you think about disciplining children? I have to share a mental picture with you from our trip home. Camping beside us was a couple, 4 children, and a mutt of a dog. Evidently, they were preparing to go to church somewhere that night because the older children, mom, and dad were dressed in suits and nice clothes. The little one, however, who appeared to be about 5, was busy jumping on the cab of their pickup truck (a very new-looking Dodge Ram). He would jump up and down, slide down the windshield, stand on the windshield wiper, dance around on the hood, kick the CB antenna completely off the truck, bending it in the process. He threw everything out of the bed of the truck and completely demolished the remote control (I think it was to a TV). He took his little tricycle, rode it to the middle of the street and left it there; kicked the dog many times; threw a bucket at the RV parked on the other side of them. All of this occurred over an hour's time and in front of either Mom, who was talking on a cell phone, older sister, also on a phone, older brothers, one of whom tried to get him off the truck but he would scream and climb back on, throwing his shoes at his brother. I went for the camera because I figured no one would believe it, but the older brother saw me aiming it, ran to his dad so I put the camera away. Dad came out, looked in the bed of the truck, and went back inside the camper. Personally, I think the time had come that a spanking on the proper part of the anatomy was necessary. It never happened. Destruction was taking place and parents were allowing it. In this case, I would say the parents were the children by allowing such behavior to occur and by "sparing the rod". Now, do you know why there is no discipline in the schools? I was only an observer but my blood was boiling. Don wonders if the truck may have belonged to someone else. Why would the owner of a new truck allow such destruction to take place? I'm glad my Dad didn't see this!

Reunions: Good or Bad?

We arrived home Thursday evening, quite tired to say the least! We traveled 8 hours today and that mad for a long and tiring day for us. The thoughts of having to unload everything makes the body even more tired feeling. Actually, we don't unload everything, just the food in the fridge, any perishables in the cabinet, and dirty clothes (although I try to keep everything washed up since we do have a washer/dryer in the RV, we did have the most recent worn clothes and the dirty linens. We always change the sheets to prepare for the next trip).
What great excitement was felt by Don and me when our children and grandchildren began arriving! Our oldest daughter and youngest son spent the weekend with us while our youngest daughter and family who live near-by were in and out.
Yesterday, we spent several hours at a memorial service for Don's sister-in-law. It was a sad occasion. It was good for Don to be able to spend some time with his brother and sisters, nieces and nephew, cousins and childhood friends. So often, suffering a loss brings the family back together. Everyone is just so busy it seems and reunions don't seem to be as popular as they once were. Perhaps we are remembering how much we hated those yearly events and how we begged our parents to leave us at home or with our friends. I think some folks actually made the comment that when they grew up and were able to make their own decisions, they would never ever attend another reunion. I have found though, that, once you arrive and get over the feeling of having to be present, reunions can actually be enjoyable. They are like everything else: it's all in the mind and how you have convinced yourself to react to the situations.

Oh What Fun!

As you can see, once again we had a wonderful meal and lots of fun and fellowship. Everyone is always looking for a reason to get together. This time, it was our leaving tomorrow. 6 of the 20 are leaving next week; 2 are leaving in 3 weeks; 7 are leaving in April; and, 2 are leaving in May. Some have to travel to up-state New York and a few to Canada so they don't want to get home before more of the snow is gone.

We will be missing the big craft show in the adjacent village and also our park picnic tomorrow. We'll just go home and look forward to next year when, once again, we will plan many more fun activities.

Notice that it took 3 guys to cook our hamburgers today, but we all had to admit they were as good as any we have ever eaten!











Notice how beautiful the sky was today. It was a bit cook but a wonderful to be outside. Don and I had to spend some time putting away things for our departure. It takes much longer when you have so many friends stopping by to bid you a farewell. That's okay, though; Oh, what fun we have had!






I may not be back on the air again until we arrive home unless we have access to WiFi at the next RV park. If not, I should be back on by Sunday.

A Celebration??

This afternoon, we were invited to one of our RV friends where there will be another cookout. That's right, we will be having hamburgers and all the fixings tomorrow evening. Now, our "friends" keep telling us that this is a celebration in our honor, a celebration? Because we are leaving Tuesday morning? I think my feelings should be hurt; what do you think? I offered to furnish the box of kleenex because I'm sure that everyone will be in tears (heehee). They were really planning this cookout for next week instead but since we have to leave earlier than planned, they are moving the date up to include us. A celebration, indeed! I understand there should be about 17 to 20 friends invited. I have wonderful friends at home and I truly miss them, especially my family and church family; however, I think it's wonderful to be able to come down here and see so many good friends from all over the country. At church today, Pastor Jon prayed for all of us snowbirds who will be departing this week. There is usually a large number of RV's leaving the first of March. In fact, there are actually 4 sites available in the park tonight.

Tonight, our friends from Prince Edward Island treated us to a farewell dinner at a nearby restaurant. We really enjoyed the fellowship with them; they are a very nice couple. Don acts like he's ready to go home in a couple of weeks or so but he really does enjoy our friends. He also enjoys riding his bike and playing horseshoes with some of the guys on many afternoons. I think he will miss these things.

I will try to blog again tomorrow night. I never know what kind of setup we'll have at the next RV park but if possible, I will keep on blogging. Now, I have to get excited about the upcoming celebration.

Ohio Day in the Park

Today was considered Ohio Day in the RV Park; however, the rest of us Snowbirds agreed that we would not hold it against them! (heehee). There are so many Ohioans here that they had to have 2 different days of it. The first one was about 2 Sundays ago. Everyone tries their hardest to have a good time in sunny Florida!

Updating Time

Our son in California called tonight to tell us their travel plans; however, it was Judy who actually shared their plans. After getting off the phone with her, we began checking into RV parks in their area. We did locate the one where we stayed a few years ago and they did have a vacancy. You will not believe the cost! We usually pay anywhere between $20 and $35, but never, ever anything like this! It's $60 plus tax that runs the total cost to $80! I am still in shock. We discussed canceling the reservation when she told us the cost (after she had our credit card information, of course); however, with it being Spring Break, our chances of getting anything else was slim if at all. We could probably stay in a motel less expensively than this. They say that it is still very very nice and it should be! We won't even have sewage, only water and electricity! It is a pull-through site but I absolutely cannot fathom how great it is! (Speaking of "fathom": someone in the park the other day was saying how he could not"phantom" something! I wondered where he was from in the U.S. because I had never heard of that. I really didn't know if he was expecting a ghost or what! heehee) Will update again later.

New Development

Here we are enjoying our last Saturday in Florida for 2007. It has truly been a very short trip for us it seems. And, now, we are talking about leaving a day or two early! Why? A new development: Because our son, his wife, and youngest son are flying into Florida from California for a few days. Their middle son is in the Navy and will be coming into the area on a three-day pass. Since they may be within driving distance from us, we may just leave this RV park early and try to find another one closer to where they will be. I'm still waiting to hear from Judy. (By the way, we have a good daughter-in-law; not like some we hear folks complaining about, but that's another blogging topic). We may not be able to find a park nearby because this is Spring Break all over the US and students will be arriving in droves! Right now, we are just playing the waiting game. My brother invited us to go with him to a Classic car show, but we passed that up just in case we have to start packing up some. Our friends from Prince Edward Island invited us out to dinner with them tomorrow night so we will have to get a lot done today and Monday morning if we do leave. Don't despair; I will keep my blogging friends informed in our doings.

Gathering to Eat...AGAIN!

Yep! This group loves to get together, especially to eat. There are about 15 faithful friends who love to gather their lawn chairs on a neighbor's site, combine their different foods, and enjoy a meal together. Tonight, it was country fried ham, pinto beans, potato salad, slaw, biscuits, cornbread, fruit salads, veggie platter, and 3 different kinds of cake. The 15 faithful could be seen by all the passersby having a ball. Some would whistle, try to invite themselves to the party, or just heckle us. The bike parade came by blowing their horns and blinking their lights at us. I cannot believe that already our time in the park is almost gone. We had friends from PEI (Prince Edward Island) stop by to invite us out for dinner with them before we leave so that's on for Sunday night. That only leaves us 4 nights to say our farewells.

This morning, I had to arise at 4:00AM to get to the office by 5:15 AM to sign up for a site for next year. When I arrived, there were already 9 people in front of me! Now, they got out there really early. I believe that everyone was able to reserve their favorite sites for next year. However, we got bumped from out site again and had to select another one. We do have a good site for next year but,since it is a choice site, I'm sure that next year we will be bumped again. Oh well, at least we have a site that is fairly near our friends. That's the most important part. You should come on down! The weather is great, the Bingo is fun, the shopping is too good, the sales they have are quite special, the ballgames are beginning (Red Sox and Twins winter here), and the people are the greatest and make the best of friends! And, in case you haven't heard by now, the food is wonderful!