Spring Is Here

Our roses are in full bloom---so pretty.  Spring has sprung here in The Villages!

Celebrating the Big 60!

Sixty years ago on this day spring arrived and so did I. 

Sixty years later I am enjoying spring in The Villages, Florida. I had a great birthday. Celebrated on several days with several cakes!  Right now 60 doesn't feel so bad. After all it is just a number---right?

The best birthday present I got was to spend the day with my wonderful, loving husband. I got flowers, and was taken out to dinner. All our daughters, many family and friends called with birthday wishes. The Lord blessed me with a wonderful day.

Our New Villa

When we were in The Villages, Florida in Oct. and Nov. we purchased a villa. Now we have some place sunny and warm to go to in the winter.

Since The Villages is a golf cart community we bought a golf cart to use as our means of transportation around the community.

Not as roomy as the motorhome but a lot easier to park!

Ladies Day Golfing

Harry and I were so blessed to have rented a villa in the Grovewood Villas in the village of Hadley. The neighbors are such a wonderful bunch of people. They are a very close and active group. They have invited us to join in any of their activities and we have taken them up on several gatherings. What a good way to get to know people—join in their fun!

Today I joined them in a round of golf. Wednesday is ladies day at the golf courses and every week there is a group that golf's and then goes to lunch. I had such a fun time even though I had a lousy golf game. In this group it is more about socializing and having a good time rather than doing good golfing. Now that is my kind of group! Harry and I will be leaving here soon and we are really going to miss all the great people. Fortunately they have “adopted us” and we can return to join their fun gatherings at any time.

Amy Visits The Villages

Last week our daughter Amy visited with us in The Villages. Amy’s birthday is November 2nd and we are always away on her birthday so this year she decided to come to visit us as a birthday present. We had a great time and she was able to see what the lifestyle is all about. She enjoyed several of the activities.

We went to a polo match. That is Amy on the left, Janet & Tom, my sister and Brother-in-law who live here at The Villages, and Harry.

It is amazing that they can hit a 3” ball from on top of a horse. It was a high scoring game—9 to 8. After the match we went for a great dinner at Gator’s Dockside. A very enjoyable and fun evening.

One evening we went to a dinner show with the entertainment being impersonator’s of famous singers. Very entertaining and wonderful singers. 

On Thursday it was a warm and sunny afternoon so we decided to take an air boat ride on the Withlacoochee River.  

  

This is one of the three alligators we saw along the way. The guide would stop for a closer look at the many turtles, birds, and alligators and he would turn off the engine so we could hear him talk.  Those airboats are sure LOUD!

We had a good time and for Harry and I it was our first time on an airboat. It was a fun week with Amy visiting and showing her around The Villages.

The Villages---October

Harry and I decided to rent a villa in The Villages, Florida to see what it was really like to be here for longer than a few days.  We left in the RV late September and spent a few days at TT Chesapeake on the way to Florida. On October 1st we put the RV in storage and checked into a villa, complete with everything we needed, including a golf car.

We got involved in several activities, pickle ball, golfing, neighborhood dinners, etc.  We decided that we liked it so much that we sold the motor home and started looking to buy a villa to travel to in the winter months.

This is the last you will see of our motor home. It was a very bitter sweet parting. We have had some wonderful times, and have met such great people and made many good friends over the past 21 years that we were RVing. For now---we plan to keep our TT membership and join our friends by staying in the Getaways. We are hoping that we will not be forgotten just because we are not around as much as we were in the past.  Since we sold the motor home and were not ready to return to chilly Pa, we extended our rental till the end of November.

Mackenzie’s Birthday

Our youngest granddaughter,  Mackenzie, is celebrating her 5th birthday on September 25th. Since she requested a pool party her parents decided to have the party earlier in the month so it would be warm and the pool would still be open. Surprise, surprise, the weather was very cool, about 73 degrees and no humidity. In addition to the cool temperature the wind was blowing at 15 to 20 MPH. That makes for pretty cold swimming.

Can you tell how COLD she looks? And her lips are blue!

A few of the kids were the only brave ones to get in the water.

After the swimming it was time to come inside for some cake. She just loves to make silly faces. 

Here she is opening one of her presents. Looking on is her big sister, Haley, in the middle, and another friend.

She really liked this card from Aunt Amy that played music. ICarly is one of her favorites.

                HAPPY BIRTHDAY MACKENZIE!