Going Home

 

Traveling home to Massachusetts

 

I don't know where the time has gone but I'll try to catch you up on our ride home.. While in Bald Ridge some friends of ours stopped in and we had a nice reunion dinner with them.  In fact they have decided to come to Florida for a month in February. 

 

After leaving Georgia we went to Indiana to see our youngest son.  We also went to see some very special friends of ours,  who we wintered with or eight years in Arizona, Pearl and Gus.

 

Continuing on to Maryland where we locked the keys in the car.  Thank you Good Sam emergency service, saved the day at no charge.

 

Next into Penn, where we made a stop at the Crayola Factory and found a Dunkin Donut store, our very favorite!   Right about now, we are getting itchy feet to get home.  We usually make this last jump in two hops, stopping in the Mohegan Sun Casino the last night, but today we did the full seven and a half hours straight through.  My  friend Carol didn't know we were coming in this week.  I owed her, she has surprised us more often than not.   She cried, I got even! LOL Took us 21 days to get there.   Talk about turtles.

 

 

Tuesday June 3rd

 

Today we left Florida for  Ashborn, Georgia, just a five hour drive.   We are traveling on I-75 for a few days. It was very noticeable to us that there are less recreational vehicles on the road than usual.   I am sure it has a lot to do with the price of fuel. 

 

Our friends Marla and Don left today for a vacation trip to Pennsylvania.   We'll miss hanging out with them and  playing cards.

 

Tonight we have no internet connection as I suspected we wouldn't have.

 

 

Wednesday

 

 

We left here this morning at 8:15 for  Bald Ridge COE Park.    This has always been a favorite of ours as every site is on the lake and has access to it. It is a lovely park with paved streets, lots of greenery and large sites.  It is gated from 10pm to 7am for security and rangers are always visible.  The only draw back here is again no Wi-Fi.  I'm am using self control about now regarding this issue.  LOL

 

There is a water shortage here in Georgia and the lake is very low.   It is a sad sight to see compared to last year.   Some things in Georgia remain the same.  I'm always amazed to see the amount of Kudzo here on the sides of the highway.   If you are not familiar with this weed, let me tell you a little about it.  It is found in southern states only and was brought here from Asia as a tool to fight erosion, but it also kills trees and shrubs by shrouding them and blocking their light.  It is hard to kill, can grow a foot a day and can send roots 12 feet into the ground.  Some experimenting  is going on by bring goats into the area and they are said to eat it .   

 

Kudzu-The Vine         Check this out for more infomation

 

 

 

We stopped for diesel today, $4.60 a gallon.  Our total was $215.77 for 47 gallons and propane was a total of $56.47.    It's easy to understand why people are not traveling far from home.  

 

We will be staying here four nights.   Catch you all later.     Sorry that I have not been able to read other journals, please forgive me, I'll catch up in a week or so. 

We're off and running

 

Thanks for all the congratulations .   We have had a lovely week.  Our friends Marla and Don took us to the Steak House for dinner , and we received some awesome gifts.   Our friends Mary and Carl send is a yummy cookie bouquet.  We also received a Bulova Clock which plays chime on the hour, and a number of gift cards, one being a $300 gas card from our son.

 

Now  we are busy packing up to leave Florida for three months.  We have to be back here at the end of August as Bob has a doctors appointment.    So this year it will be a short trip for us.   Our first stop will be Georgia for a week or so and then up to Indiana to visit our son and some friends some Arizona friends, Pearl and Gus.  After that we are heading for New England.

 

I don't think I will have an Internet connection for at least 10 days, so I will not be able to visit all your wonderful sites, but I'll pop in when ever I can get connected.   So long for now.

Grow Old Together, The Best is Yet to Come

JUST THE WAY YOU ARE (Billy Joel)

Don't go changing, to try and please me
You never let me down before
Don't imagine you're too familiar
And I don't see you anymore                       
I wouldn't leave you in times of trouble
We never could have come this far
I took the good times, I'll take the bad times
I'll take you just the way you are

Don't go trying some new fashion
Don't change the color of your hair
You always have my unspoken passion
Although I might not seem to care

I don't want clever conversation
I never want to work that hard
I just want someone that I can talk to
I want you just the way you are.

I need to know that you will always be
The same old someone that I knew
What will it take 'till you believe in me
The way that I believe in you.

I said I love you, and that's forever
And this I promise from the heart
I could not love you any better
I love you just the way you are.

Drum Role Please

 

 

Tomorrow Bob and I will celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary with a blessing at a Mass in St. Joseph's church here in Florida.  We were married in Beverly Ma. at the St. Mary's Star and Sea Church, on May 25, 1958, many moons ago!

 

We meet the night before my sixteenth birthday at a local teen dance.  He asked me to go for a ride the following Sunday and I said I would only go if he bring a date for my best friend.  He did and they will celebrate their 50th in September.   The rest is history.

 

After the children left the nest, and moved out of state, it was time to plan our new adventure after retirement.  And what an adventure it has been.  We sold  or gave away almost everything we had, including our home and a camp in Maine.   Before we retired we purchased a motorhome and started gathering interesting information on things and places we would like to see.   It has been eight years and we have no regrets.  We have pretty well seen ever thing we wanted to, except Oregon and Washington state.   Maybe next summer.

 

So here we are, fifty years later.  We are lucky, we laugh every day, still kiss each other when one is going out, have  no serious medical issues  and still enjoy each others company.   We don't know why we are so blessed, but we thank the Lord for each other every day.   Life is good.

 

PS      Happy anniversary to our friends Gary and Shirley tomorrow too.

Coming soon----Big news!

 

Well here I am apologizing again for not taking care of business here in J-Land.     Hope I am forgiven.

When we retired I had imagined there would be so much time to ponder life's meaning and other heavy thoughts.  That such was a pipe dream.  There is never a single day that we don't leave the house.  Our social calendar is busier than a ever.

 

It is getting warmer here in Florida, so the games of shuffle are being played at night under the lights. There are still a lot of good-bye dinners going on, which had added a few more pounds to the derriere, which I really don't need.

 

Bob and I have always enjoyed the  small community theatres productions.    Yesterday we saw an old favorite "Nunsense", a two act play, with our friends Marla and Don.  Bob and I attended parochial schools and found this play amusing, much more than the ruler  whacking nuns we remembered.  The five gals who played the nuns were very funny, and had serious singing voices.   It was a pleasant way to spend the afternoon and later went out to dinner and home for a few hands of cards.  It was such a nice day.

 

 

All My Faves | Why Search?    Check this site out.   I'm sure you will just love it.

 

This is all I have to share today, BUT Wait,  I'll give you really really big news in a day or two. 

VATICAN SPLENDORS

 

This exhibit was advertised as a once in a life time opportunity limited engagement.   Well Bob and I and friends wanted experience this 2000 years of Vatican art and history. 

 

One of the first things we noticed was that all that glitters is not gold.  All items that we remember were gold plated over silver.   They looked good though.

 

In the advertisements it was said to display the architect's compass belonging to Michelangelo.   Under the display at the museum , it stated it might have been his or like his.

 

We felt strongly that "The Mandylion of Edessa", believed to be the earliest representation of the face of Jesus, was a replica, as it was brilliant in color, hard to believe it was original.

 

Another section  was all about the Swiss Guard who protects the have protected the Popes since 1506. On display were uniforms and decorated armor.

 

Section 9 was liturgical vestments and Pope Pius Vll's papal tiara, containing one of the  world's largest emeralds.   No guards in sight!

 

One of the exhibition's most dramatic rooms, this recreated environment takes visitors onto the scaffolding near the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, to explore how Michelangelo painted his famous frescoes.   I once read that he did not want to paint the ceiling as he considered himself a poet more than an artist.

 

Taking pictures was not allowed, but got these from the Internet.

 

All in all , we were disappointed with the exhibit, but we did have a nice day and lunch with friends.

 

More Of This and That

Another busy week.     We had a visit from friends of ours, Shirley and Gary from Arizona this week .  What a nice day we had with them catching up with all the news and finding out what they have been up too.   The day just flew by and before we knew it they were off, as they were leaving the next morning.  We have missed them and enjoyed their visit.

 

Tonight we had friends over and played a card game "Hand and Foot".  Guys against the girls.   We keep a running score.  We tied tonight.  The boys were lucky!!

 

Some of you have asked what kind of a game is "Mexican Train", it is a domino game, played with a double twelve set of 91 dominoes..   Lots of fun.  Here  are the rules for those of you that are interested. 

Click here: >Mexican Train Station Dominoes Game Rules

 

We are still unpacking.   It's a slow process! LOL

 

Tomorrow night 10 of us are going out for Chinese food and crab legs.  Oh, how I love crab legs.  Bob doesn't eat them as he says it is just to much work to get at the meat. Sunday Mary and Carl are having all 10 of us over for lunch and then the guys will watch the "Masters" on their 72 inch TV.

 

Last, but not least.  Ever wonder how to say  thank you when you see a military person in uniform?  
See a simple way to do it from across a room or as you are passing  by.

http://www.gratitudecampaign.org/fullmovie.php<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

 

Hope you all have a great weekend.

It's Christmas here!

Well here I sit among rows of boxes on every available wall in the kitchen, dining room, living room and back porch.  They are stacked somewhat neatly.  Bob is losing sleep as he worries where in the hell is he going to put all "your stuff".  I tell him  "deal with it", this doesn't make him smile.   I have to admit that  I question my own sanity when I packed all this "stuff".   We have found some treasures and also found some stuff that did not belong to us.  Two of the boxes were my son's, ( boxes were stored at his house), So I called him and informed  him I that  had a box of his wife's clothes here. He says " How do you know it is our box Mom" and I told him I never had a key chain that said "Sexy  Bitch"on it!

 

Yesterday we went to a neighbor's wedding.  He is 85 and she is somewhere near that.  He has a RV and they are going to hit the rode for the summer.  The wedding was beautiful and they looked pretty spiffy.

 

Last night we played Mexican Train with some friends that dropped.  Fun time.

 

I had better get back to unpacking.  See what new surprises await me.   Happy Sunday everyone.

This and That

 

Wow, April Fools Day and so far no one has fooled me!   I guess I know all the tricks now.    Bob went golfing this morning  and I went to an early meeting with the girls and then out to breakfast.  From there we checked out the local Hospice store.  You never know what treasures they have there any given day.

 

I started to make a list today of all the things we wanted to do or see before we leave Florida.   The list was bigger than I expected.

 

OH,  by the way, on my March 9th entry, I asked if anyone knew where I could find lime green chair cushions, well, friends Mary and Marianne found them for me.   Thanks guys.They spotted them at the Burlington Coat Factory!       The name  of the game was perseverance.   I love the way they look.

 

I had a nice surprise today.   The local florist delivered me a lovely flower  birthday cake.  Yes, I was almost a fool, tomorrow is my birthday.

 

Sometime this week we are expecting a moving van to deliver things that we put in storage eight years ago when we started this adventure.   It will be like Christmas, not remembering what was saved and boxed.  My cedar chest was the biggest item as we did not store any other furniture.  Bob can't imagine where we will put anything, but it's my "stuff" and I want it!  

 

Gotta get out of here.  Take care.   Catch you later.

 

 

OH, What a week it was!

Hi All,    We have been so busy lately.  The winter season is coming to an end and the things to do are all being scheduled before everyone leaves for the north and a summer at home.    Let's see, first we had our last dance of the season, went off very well.  Then we had "Fun Day" which was a hoot.  I was the sheriff and had five  deputies.   We had a jail and if you were caught without a "Get Out of Jail Free Card", it cost you to be bailed out.   My deputies were aggressive and we made a lot of money for the activities next year.  Beside the jail there were game of chance, water balloons, a cake walk and a huge amount of door prizes, all from local merchants.  We also had a lunch cafe there with all home made soups, chili, hot dogs and pastries.

 

Next we had a bocce tournament.  Bob's team came in first place and my team came in second.    What luck, not skill.  LOL       I won at Bingo this week, that's a first for the year..

 

Thursday, the park had a pork loin dinner cooked by the guys.  The horseshoe players and the shuffle team put it on..   Had company Thursday and Friday night for cards.  Saturday went to Easter service 8pm until 10:30 pm.  What a long service.  All so Bob could play golf on Sunday morning with the guys.

 

Today we were invited to our friends Marla and Don for Easter dinner.  There were 18 of us.    Marla is the perfect hostess and one of the best cooks that I have run across.  I'm so glad to have met her.

 

Tomorrow my friend Marianne is coming to visit for a few days.  She is hoping for warm and sunny weather, as it is still cold in New England.   The forecast is for the 70's all week and sunny.  Not bad.

 

I guess that's it for now.   Have a good week.   Catch you all later.      Dawn

Happy St. Patrick's Day

Happy St. Patrick's Day

Here is a special card for all my J-Land friends:

http://www.jacquielawson.com/viewcard.asp?code=1464117706244&source=jl999        Dawn

 

 

 

Busy Times

 Elephant Ears, so good.

 

These signs were great.

 

Charlie Pride concert

 

Western entertainment.

 

Just opening, no crowds yet!

 

    

 

Strawberries, strawberries everywhere.

 

  Cake decorating.

 

 

    Still  have a busy schedule here in Florida.   Bob was recently in the hospital for observation and they found nothing conclusive.  He is fine and back to a full schedule of golf,cooking at the park breakfasts, cribbage, and a lot of cards with friends.   Last night we went to church with Mary and Carl and Marianne and Jim.  After we went to Chili's for dinner.  It seems that it was happy hour when we got there.  Being in a party mood we all ordered a drink, and when they were delivered, there was two for each of us.  Yum  What a deal!

 

Last week we went to the Strawberry Festival.  Weather was beautiful and we did a lot of walking around.

This is a community fair, being smaller than the county fair or state fair.   What could be more community than Plant City, where all local farmers have worked long and hard to bring the strawberries to market. Over 5,000 acres are planted annually.  That's a lot of strawberries.

 

Along with wicked good strawberry shot cake, the fair is a feast for all.  We went with friends of 40 years or so,  Art and Ginny from Georgia.   Young and old enjoy the  competitions and contests combined with exhibits of agriculture, commerce, livestock, arts, homemade goods, crafts and entertainment  that's hard to match.   On the day we were there we saw The Southern Star Bluegrass Band and also Charlie Pride. Does anyone remember Charlie singing  "Kiss An Angel Good Mornin'" ?

 

I guess I had better finish off here and download a few photos.  Hope you all had a good weekend..

 

PS    I'm have a heck of a time trying to find solid lime green or yellow dinning room chair pads.  Anyone know where they have them?          Dawn

Here is a great new screen cleaner for your computer. Try it, you'll like it!

Click here: http://redeemedlife.org/sc.swf

 

                                                                                                      Dawn

County Fair

 

 

 

 

The other day we went with friends to the Pasco County Fair.  We were not able to get to the State Fair which would have been the preferred fair, but what can you do, there is always something else going on.

 

We met early and went out to lunch and then hit the fair.  I just love a fair.   Growing up in Massachusetts, we always went to the Topsfield Fair which is the oldest agricultural fair in the United States beginning in 1818.  Later when we vacationed in Maine we always went to the Fryberg Fair, another great fair.

Any way , as we ate before we got there, I wasn't tempted to eat all the yummy foods, I was so strong walking right bye the fried dough, Italian sausage and onion, candy apples, and corn dogs arebig here. One of the first things we went to see was a bluegrass band, they were great.  We visited all the usual fair haunts, the exhibition halls, the livestock,and the midway.  Along the way we came across a giant talking robot with a sense of humor.   I was impressed with the young people raising rabbits, and cows which they proudly displayed.  There were not many people playing games or testing their skill on the midway.  The charge for most were a dollar an some a dollar and a half. Geez, it seemed like only yesterday the cost was only 25 or 50 cents.   No wonder there wasn't much action going on!   Anyway we had a good time.   This is the season for fairs across the country, catch one if you can, the smells alone are worth the trip!

Are you planning on going to the fair?

 

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Pretty Funny

THE TEA PARTY

 

When I was a toddler, someone had given me a little Tea Set as a gift, and it was one of my favorite toys.

Daddy was in the living room engrossed in the evening news when I brought him a little cup of "tea" which was just water, of course.

 

After several cups of tea and lots of praise for such yummy tea, my Mom came home.  My Dad made her wait in the living room to watch his little Princess bring him a cup of tea, because it was, "Just the cutest thing!"

My Mom waited, and sure enough, here I come down the hall with a cup of tea for Daddy.  She watches him drink it up and then says,  "Did it ever occur to you that the only place that a toddler can reach to get water is the toilet?"

 

THE END   (I hear you laughing!)

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Happy Valentine's Day

http://www.jacquielawson.com/viewcard.asp?code=1438442556244&source=jl999

Hugs,  Dawn

This and That

I'm sure you have heard by now that the New York Giants spoiled the Pats perfect season.  It was a sad day

and it deleted a perfectly good party. Oh well, I guess we won't see another season like that for years to come.

 

My friend Carol is coming in today to spend the week with us.  Carol comes from a cold and snowy Massachusetts.   We also have good friends here from Georgia that are staying in another park and a couple from Ma.  They also are in a another park. When we wintered in Arizona, friends never came, now that we are in the East, that's a different story. 

 

We went to a flea market the other day and found a card shuffler that takes six decks.   Perfect for us as we play a lot of Hand and Foot.   Are you familiar with this game? 

 

The state fair started yesterday.  Looks like a good take.  Our park has a weekly Bingo game.  Some people have more luck than others in Bingo. Mary, Bunny and Marla win fairly often, but Marianne and I consistently lose, talk about the biggest loser, it us!!!

 

Gotta run and take a shower and head out to the airport, look out Florida, Carol  will be in town.  Have a great day friends and take care of each other.

 

I almost forgot to show you my new rooster.     Isn't he the cutest?

 

 

 

 

 

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Super Bowl XLll

With a win this Sunday, the case would for this will be overwhelming.  That's right folks, unless you have been living under a rock, you know that Sunday is Super

Bowl  Sunday.   The N. Y. Giants vs the N. E.

Patriots.      The New England Patriots are on the verge of becoming the first NFL team to go 19-0.

 

Big party here Sunday.  Folks have been planning, cooking, decorating in the Pats colors, and my Pats flag is hanging outside.  

 

 If you are not a football fan, this would be the game to watch.   If the Pats win, this will be a history making game, unbeatable all season and then winning the Super Bowl.  Nothing could be finer.  This is also a big day for the latest and best commercials, mostly really cute. 

 

 

Here is a cute song about the Pats after the 18th game... check out our cute quarterback while you are at it ladies.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NGbua9TV18c

 

 

GO PATS         GO BRADY              

 

J-Land Photo Shoot # 127

The theme for this week is "Old".   I have never participated in this before and my first thought was a picture of me.  But seeing that I don't feel very old, I'll forget that idea.   Here is mine.

 

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I'm Back !!

 

Boy, It's been a while!!   Time flies when you are having fun, so someone said!

 

I hope you are all enjoying the new year.  I personally was glad to see it end.  I still miss reading " Lahoma 's

Laments"    She is in my thoughts daily. And the other blow was of course Kim of   " I shaved my legs for this?"  Two unforgettable J-Land  ladies

 

Last month was my fourth year journaling.  Again, times fly.

 

I should fill you in from what is going on with us lately. We arrived in Zephyrhills, FL, where we were planning on staying the winter in our motor home.   Soon after that we just happened to see a park model that came up for sale. And before we knew it we were buying it.  From that time to know we have been making it our own.  Shopping, shopping, shopping, what can a girl do?     Someone has to take this on, and I'm up for the job.   A friend, Mary,  I met here made all the curtains, I just wasn't fast enough for her, such a twit, but what a dear.

The house still needs a few decorative touches, but I'll know them when I find them.

 

We have also been busy learning to play bocci , playing cards with friends.  And speaking of friends, all they do here is entertain and eat.  My diet is shot to you know where.  Bob is golf a couple of days a week, he's a happy camper, unless he has a bad golf score!  We are volunteering with a few activities and we and my friend Mary have started a cribbage night at the club house.  The managers of the park Marla and Don have also been great friends to us and made us feel very welcome.  The people we have become involved with are all from Penn and are "Steeler" fans.  So when the Pats were playing the Steelers they all came here to watch the game on our new large flat TV.  This was the only input I had from Bob when buying furniture, just like a guy!!  I was glad the Pats won as we were out numbered by 12.    

 

Well I'll get back this weekend and tell you more of what we are up to.   Here are a few pics of the new winter hideaway.  Have a great week-end.  love to all.    Gosh it feels good to be back!