New Sights

Yesterday, Hubby and I spent the day traveling to different places around the area. We traveled first to Ft Myers Beach; however, the traffic was so very heavy that we decided to turn back (we had forgotten that the college Spring Breakers were down). We stopped by the Tanger Outlet stores for a quick, extremely fast, shop visit. Instead of continuing then to Sanibel Island where we knew we would meet the same congestion, we decided to go to Estero, then on to Immoccolle via Corkscrew Road. Along the way, there was a fenced-in area on both sides of the road, built to prevent panthers from getting on the highway. There were places where tunnels were provided under the road so the panthers could get to the other side (they don't do that for chickens here! heehee). We decided to check out the casino which in located on the Indian reservation; what a crowd and what a terrible odor! I think 75% of the people playing the games were smokers! Hubby said that he could still smell cigarettes even after we returned to the RV. It was awful. Now, I like the smell of cigarette, cigar and pipe smoke; however, I like it in moderation, not in packed areas or closed-in areas such as cars or small rooms; outdoors is okay.

We left the casino and traveled the few miles to the new town of Ave Maria. A huge cathedral stands high above the other buildings that encircle it. A circle drive with parking spaces along the way make a visit to the cathedral and the shops easily accessible. The town is just being built, actually, and a new Publix grocery store will soon have a place in the village.

Within the town is a new Catholic university, named Ave Maria University. I overheard someone say that yearly tuition is around $27,000; yet, about 85% of the students will receive some type of scholarship or financial aid. They offer degrees in classic studies and are building structures which will house a pre-med and pre-law schools.

Homes are also a feature surrounding the town. There seems to be quite a few children living there, perhaps children of the professors and other workers. This will be a very beautiful place once it is completed, probably in a few years. If I can get the necessary stuff for my camera, I will try to add some photos of the cathedral.

From Ave Maria, we traveled on to the small town of LaBelle where they celebrate the season with a Swamp Cabbage Festival. If you have never heard of swamp cabbage, it rather interesting; you may want to check it out. Bears were the ones who actually discovered that the cabbage was edible when they climbed the tree and tore into the trunk to obtain the edible parts. Nowadays, the cooks use the inside of the palm tree, limbs/branches that have not sprouted; they have to cut down into the tree to obtain the cabbage. It doesn't taste like our cabbage exactly, a bit tougher, not something I would want to eat often at all!

Who is Significant?

I know it's been several days since I posted a blog and I really have no excuse except I have been on the go. Two nights of Bingo (I won $20.00 this week)and one night out has used up much of my time. I spent several hours at the Wednesday Flea Market then I had a beauty shop appointment to keep this afternoon. Tomorrow, Hubby and I plan on taking a sightseeing trip; I can't tell you where yet because we plan to just get in the car and go. I will try to blog about it tomorrow night.

Friday, we go to renew our passports. The procedure is somewhat different now because we now go to the post office to take care of that. We may not use these this year but we thought we would go ahead and renew them since they will expire in a few months.

I don't think I have told you what our pastor preached on Sunday and it was another very good one: "Why Your Life is Significant". He pointed out 3 reasons that our life is significant: first, God mad you (He made us in God's image and gave us a soul); second, God bought you; and third, God lives in you. Jon's ministry was based on God's Word from I Corinthians 6:9-20. I highly recommend this Scripture as excellent reading. We also sang a really neat song which goes witht he tune of "A Mighty Fortress is our God" (one of my favorite songs). The words go like this (I don't know who wrote them):
"God's word is our great heritage and shall be ours forever.
To spread its light from age to age shall be our chief endeavor.
In life it lights our way, in death it is our stay,
Lord, grant while worlds endure, we keep its teachings pure
Throughout all generations."

10 Miles and Going Strong

Today I decided to ride my new bike as far as possible. I promised one of the ladies here that I would take her shopping this morning so I took care of that promise first thing. Then, I unlocked my bike and started riding. I rode all over our park (that's one mile); I rode all through the 3 adjacent parks (I have to measure the mileage since I can't remember what I found out last year, but we think it's at least 3 miles but maybe more); then, I rode down the sidewalk to the next park over from ours and rode through part of it (that's probably 1/4 mile away) and I rode probably another 1/4 mile through it; not thinking that was enough, I decided to ride through our park at least 3 more times. I think I probably rode 10 miles before running out of time. I did have to fix dinner for us. We had a couple stop by and visit with us for about an hour after dinner so I didn't get to ride much longer after that. It was fun but, most of all, it was great exercise!

Hubby had a little confrontation with one of the guys in the park. It seems that this man allowed his dog to come onto our site and use the bathroom. When Hubby politely asked the man to please not let his dog use our site as a restroom, the man got angry and said he had the right to allow his dog to go anywhere in the park...NOT. The rules plainly say to keep pets on one's own site or take them to the dog walking area. This man, however, said that it was in the rules that pets have the right to go anywhere anytime and was very rude. Hubby then asked him to go with him to the office and check this "story" out. When Hubby turned around to go that way, the guy left in the opposite direction. Now, I ask you, who is at fault for violating rules, the man or the dog? Why can't pet owners follow the rules without getting so upset? What would they think if people let their children break rules such as this on their property (and this is our property while we are paying for it, even temporarily)?

Park and Shop

Our RV Park had a yard sale this morning. All up and down the streets in the park, beginning at 7:00 AM, people meandered, checking out the bargains along the way. Probably half of us had things out that we didn't want anymore, much of which was new or near-new stuff. I only bought one thint: an oak magazine rack which will easily fit in our RV or our daughter's. I sold several things as well: small crock (I got a new one for Christmas), measuring cups, lamp, and some other small gadgets. I had my bike up for sale but that didn't go at the price I was asking and I was pretty firm in that. If I don't sell it when I get home, I'll just keep it for awhile. If my daughter-in-law were nearby, I would give it to her but mailing it would be too costly. It is a very good Schwinn coaster bike which should easily bring $50. I was offered $30 but that's not quite enough.

Last night, the pool players had a dance and we were invited to attend (we don't play pool with them but we did appreciate the invitation, so much so that we decided to attend). Actually, it was a very good dance/party with about 50 in attendance. They had a really good combo there who played good music which I think everyone enjoyed. We danced a few times but mostly, we just sat at our table of 8 and enjoyed the evening.

Hubby and I are scheduled for an appointment to get our passports renewed this week. They will expire soon, before we would leave for Alaska if we get to go. Now, travelers through Canada must have a valid passport. We're getting ready whether we make the trip or something shorter.

Service: Work for All

What a time I had signing onto my blog this morning. I had to change my password 3 times to get in; however, I'm in now so that's what counts.

Yesterday was another busy, yet fun, day for me especially. I started off the day by being awakened by a phone call from my local beautician who wanted to give be a perm in one hour. Well, I made it and got that over with. I wasn't supposed to get it done until next week so that's good.

Later in the early afternoon, Hubby and I went to view my favorite bicycles. He had ridden all of them but one, the one I thought rode the best. We went back there last and Hubby did ride it; he agreed! Quite the bike! Needless to say, that's the one we decided to buy and haul back here in the back of our small SUV. Now, I will never get my money's worth out of this bike, but this will be left for my daughter to enjoy. It's a lower bike than most and she will be able to ride it with no problems (she's shorter than I am). This bike is a 26" bike but has a 13 1/2" frame, making the ground much closer to me. My concern was that, as I get older, I feel insecure with my feet not touching the ground without my learning the bike over to catch myself. I feel that this is quite dangerous for someone my age.

Our church service Sunday was also another great one. Our pastor preached on the joy of servanthood and used the text, Philippians 2:1-16. He really touched many hearts I'm sure and there were at least 100 hearts present to touch. He reminded us that little service is much when God is in it. God will not forget what we have done, that there is work for everyone. With the way things are going in this world, I believe that we need to serve God double-time, don't you?

Digital TV Up and Running

I had a little luck at Bingo tonight, $20 which I will put toward a new bicycle. I have a perfectly good bike; however, it is just too tall for me and I'm getting a little concerned about falling when I try to stop. Hubby and I spent the morning traveling to all the local bike shops trying to see what kind of deals we might find. Unfortunately, all bikes are much too expensive. The ones at Walmart and Target are just too tall for me or too short if they are 24"bikes. I guess I'm going to have to pay more than I would like. I can use all of my Bingo money, however, and buy one without hurting my bank account. That may be the way I go. Even if I don't buy a bike, we enjoyed the morning visiting the shops and talking to the salesmen. We learned a lot about bikes that we had no idea about. This will be my last bike though so I suppose I should get what I like best, what rides best, and what fits me best. They don't make bikes the way they used to; actually, I think they are better.

When we were trying out one of the bikes, Hubby hit his leg on the back rack and did quite a number on it. We had to come on home because he was bleeding pretty badly and it was running down his leg into his shoe. I believe we were able to get all the stain out of his jeans but not sure about his tennis shoes. They are drying overnight now. I hate he had to get hurt that way, especially when he was doing me a favor by trying out the bikes and giving me a second opinion.

Our area is now gone to digital television; no box on tv with antenna, no tv picture. Several of the folks in the park thought they were okay; however, once the switch over was made at noon today, they learned they needed a box. Many spent the day traveling around looking for a box to purchase and they had a lot of trouble finding them. Some were unable to get theirs up and running. Hubby and I had put ours in last week, had checked it out and had service. I have to say there's not much on the local channels though; a few more channels available but nothing exciting on them. I hope it will be better when we get home. Fortunately, we do have satellite tv too so we can enjoy some of those programs. I must say though, that even, satellite has little to watch. Such sorry movies now that we don't even watch those. We spend more time watching FOX News than any other. At least it only has clean shows. Sometimes, we will find a good Western such as Gunsmoke to watch and oftentimes we will watch something on LMN. We like a lot of the old sitcoms; but, there again, some of them are not the best and they tend to show Fresh Prince or Cosby on so many channels. Give us some variety!

A Stable Business

Everyone seems to be in hibernation this late afternoon. We believe that they are all inside watching the big race, which has been quite interesting, especially when they were down to 75 laps. Earlier, we sat outside and just enjoyed the beautiful day, visited with many folks who just stopped by to sit and chat, and waved at others who didn't want to stop.

I have ordered a pizza from Papa John's, the closest place that delivers here. In fact, they are quite good and their cars are in and out of the park from 5:00 until 10:00 every day. I know they hate to see all the snowbirds head North in late March and April. Their business should be very stable, however, just from the extra work they do beginning in October.

So Many Bikes!

I hope all of you have had a wonderful valentine's day. We had a restful one here. Hubby and I did go look at new bicycles for me. I need a lower one that I can reach the ground easily. Right now, I have to struggle to touch my toes to the ground since I'm not as agile as I once was. I didn't decide on one yet though; I want to make sure that I get the one I would like to keep from now on; there are so many kinds to choose from. Of course, I won't get one like so many of our friends have: motorcycles or motortrikes. They really enjoy riding everywhere on them but since Hubby had a serious accident on one when he was a teenager, he isn't interested; also our son had a scary accident on a trail bike and our older son was hit by a car on his when he was a teenager. So, as you can see, we are leery of them.

What did you get for Valentine's Day? I will be treated one night this week at Outback Steak House (it's too busy today so prefer a weeknight).One of our new friends came by today with a box of valentine's candy for Hubby and me. I was so surprised! I tell you, the folks here are so friendly and nice. I believe my group of friends here is beginning to outnumber the ones at home. I was in awe of the number of get well cards I received from friends here and people just stopping by to leave a message for me, some who I haven't ever met, only seen them around. We are just our own little town of around 150-200 here I'd say.

Tonight 8 of us went out to dinner together. Tomorrow is church day. We usually go to the cafeteria but I plan to treat Hubby tomorrow and he would like to go the nearby Chinese restaurant. I like that too.

Red Means Love this Weekend

It's bad about the plane crash in New York last night. I feel so sorry for those families and friends left behind. One lady in the plane was going to a celebration at the school where she first met her husband, one of the people who lost his life on 9/11. This story doesn't have a happy ending as did the plane crash into the Hudson, I'm sad to say.

Today, some of the crowd is going to see the horses but we decided to skip that trip since we have been there and done that one. Maybe later on or maybe we'll wait until next year. We're not sure what we will do today but, no matter what, we will try to do as usual and enjoy our day.

Tomorrow is Valentine's Day, a reminder to my readers that the color red means love and friendship this weekend. There's a lot of red in the park. Many of the campers have valentine flags flying; some have lighted hearts in their windows; there are many RV's that have red lights blinking on their awnings. Many do as we have this year and have nothing outside. I ran over my yard flag holder so I can't put out my flag. Maybe I will get a new stand before St Patrick's Day when everyone does something green.

Cool May be Good Today

Nothing to report of much interest. A group of us ladies went out to eat at the Olive Garden yesterday and treated one lady with a birthday luncheon. The staff there treated us like celebrities. We were served complimentary wine, provided all the delicious bread and salad we could tolerate, and brought us a huge birthday cake that fed all of us with some left over to take home! What a treat. Today, I'm having to pay for the fun, however. I'm having to watch the sweets. I think my sugar is okay but I need to be a little careful.

This morning, Hubby got up with taxes on his mind...ugh!! Why, I don't know but he's frustrated about not receiving all of our 1099's. I dread being around when he's doing this job because he's never a happy camper (no pun intended). I think I'll get out my bike and go visiting some of my friends. It's a bit cloudy though and a little cooler than usual. That's okay, cool may be good, especially for the working hubby!

The President Has Arrived in Town

We have known for a few weeks that Obama was coming to Ft Myers to try to sell his Stimulus Plan. Well, he's speaking right now. I haven't decided how the residents are reacting to his responses. Tickets were being given away for the event beginning Monday morning; 2 tickets would be given to each person who got there in time. I understand that the people began lining up Sunday morning during church hours. There were only 1500 tickets total to be handed out; after giving to the big shots, banks, etc, I'm not sure how many were actually left to give out. None of my friends decided to try getting any. We will probably go outside to see if we can get a view of Air Force One when it departs at 4:00PM. Since I'm not in favor of the Plan as is, I really didn't want to listen to him much. The stock market is way, way down today; is that because the plan actually passed? I just don't understand the plan. The plan will only provide temporary jobs while completing the curbs, the streets, the intersections, the sewers, the official buildings, libraries, etc; what happens to these temporary employees after that?? Why has this question not been asked? Why are the banks getting more money? Lord, help me to understand!

Mercy!

Today, our pastor preached from the Old Testament Book of Lamentations, with the title being Mercy. If you are interested in the topic of God's mercy and faithfulness, just read Lamentations 3:22-24. We then sang a hymn that I had never heard, entitled, "Day by Day" written by a lady by the name of Byrd. She emphasizes that every day, the Lord is near us with a special mercy for each hour we live. Another new hymn to me that we sang is entitled "Rejoice, the Lord is King". I think there are some words in this song which bear thought today and that is that God's kingdom cannot fail, that He rules over the earth. We should lift up our hearts and rejoice.

Several of us couples later went out to eat at the local cafeteria then to just enjoy the Spring-like day until time to partake of the free ice cream social which the park provided for its residents. It's been a lazy day but one that I have enjoyed with some of my good neighbors. I hope you had a great day too.

Wives are Waiting

I know my blog is probably not very interesting; however, it is meant to keep my family, friends and anyone else who is interested, informed of what's happening in my life. Some days just don't even warrant a space but I do want everyone to know that all is well.

Today, a couple of friends and I went shopping at the new Beall's but found nothing that exciting to purchase; Hubby thought that was great! One of my friends here loves to shop, every day, everywhere, every hour. She will disappear and be gone for hours and hours, even into the evening. Her favorite place is Walmart I think but she is just happiest when shopping. She is a cheerful person who is fun to be around. Both she and her husband have a great sense of humor.

Tonight, Hubby and I decided to go out for a sandwich and hit a few stores of his choice; ie, Home Depot, etc. I'm glad that he had a good time. It's sometimes nice for the wife to sit around and wait for the hubby; usually, it's the other way around. It's funny going in stores and seeing that scenario!

Manatees: So Ugly, So Cute

We spent the morning out watching the manatees as they were coming into Ft Myers to avoid all the very cold waters. There were probably more than 100 stirring around in the waters there. I took some photos but cannot find my computer hookups for my camera. If I find them, I will add photos later. Some of the manatees were so scarred; we were told that the damage was done to them by the propellers of boats. They have so much fat on them that they can usually survive the harsh treatment. Since they are on the endangered species list, I hope they will continue to protect them as much as possible.

After leaving that area, we enjoyed browsing at the nearby Camping World. It's always fun to see the Rv's, etc. Since I was so sick during the big RV shows and was unable to attend any of them, today was a fun day for me.

No Winners

My friends and I have played Bingo twice this week but none of us were winners. My friend from PA came by and kept hugging and rubbing on me, saying that she was rubbing my good luck from last week onto her. Well, I think she did because she won 3 times on Tuesday. She didn't win but about half of what I did but she did well. My sister-in-law did win a door prize, a free meal at Denny's Restaurant.

Yesterday, a couple from home went out to breakfast with us. IHOP has a special breakfast with a 20% discount for senior citizens. That makes eating a huge breakfast less than $4.00 each plus your drink which will run it up to $6.00

Afterwards, we brought the guys back and my friend and I went shopping at Sears, Kohl's, Target, Walmart. We were looking for specific items and we had to continue going to different places just to find them and still didn't find one item we wanted. Anyway, we had fun.

Today, Hubby and I plan to go out to see the Manatees. It is so cold here that we think they will be in their usual location where it's warmer. If we get there, check back to see if I have posted photos. These things are so ugly but almost extinct; worth seeing.

I Say Nay to the Stimulus Plan

I cannot believe some of the things they are planning to do with our tax money! I just read where over $240b. dollars is earmarked for Hollywood to buy film!?!? Why? That to me is the worst but there are more items that need to be totally omitted! And, I think it's terrible that our president is nominating such people for his cabinet, people who have not paid their taxes! It's absolutely unreal. I thought honesty, integrity, change, and transparency were to be key issues for the 44th; There is no integrity in appointing folks who cannot do what we middle-class citizens have to do. I have always paid my taxes, twice audited, and the IRS proved that we were a very honest family. What about these very rich people? I just cannot get over their dishonesty. I think every single federal official needs to be audited immediately; every single very rich person needs to be audited and find where they are hiding their money. I can't hide mine; I am a little fellow. Our system is wrong, wrong, wrong!!

This business of aiding and abetting abortions anywhere in the world is also wrong. I am so glad my mom didn't abort me. What about you?

I'm getting off my soap box; I'm getting my nerves worked up.

Feed Thy Neighbors

This afternoon, during a cool, rainy time, our neighbor from 5 RV's away, appeared at our door. As a widower, he has been teaching himself to cook and has really become quite good at it too. When I answered the door, DH said that he had spent the day cooking a pork roast and was inviting us and 3 other neighbors to share it with him. He said just come over and take what you want for your dinner. Not wanting to hurt his feelings, I went over with a small dish and got enough for Hubby and me. I already had chicken fingers planned for dinner. Well, we tasted his pork roast and it was absolutely wonderful, so tender and juicy! He is a fine fellow and really enjoys his neighbors from the Old North State. Now, we are planning to buy him a chef's hat. Perhaps we need to think of something special to do for him; any suggestions?

Hubby and I really enjoyed the Super Bowl last night, better than any we have watched in several years. I wanted to see the Cardinals win but it was a good game regardless. We often pull for the underdog: they had never been to a super bowl and the Steelers have won 6 I believe. Like I've often said, in another year or two, we won't even remember who played much less who won.

No Church for Us Today...BooHoo

I wasn't able to make it to church this morning although I got up ready to go. I have begun to develop a rash, I guess from this awful flu, antibiotics, and nerves. No, we don't think it's shingles, not the right kind of rash I'm told. Anyway, I didn't want to sit in church scratching the entire time. Also, Hubby's shoulder is bothering him a lot this morning. Maybe it's the cold weather.

I see the rest of the gang returning from church right now; they got out very early today (50 minutes total). They have a wonderful service here and I really miss going. Hopefully, I will be able to attend next Sunday.