Good Bye to Paradise

This morning we finished packing up the car (it is loaded)!  We ate breakfast, finished cleaning and said good-bye to Jennie (the caretaker) and were on our way.

We tried various radio stations once The Villages' station petered out, but most of it was religious or political.  Terry played some songs from her I-phone and sang to me.  Now, you know we were desperate if Terry's singing was what we settled for today.

We stopped at Jekyll Island on our way to South Carolina and it was WINDY. We ate at the Shack at the end of the Wharf.  We ate indoors at a little bar.  People were sitting outside but they were getting blown around and that did not appeal to us.

Terry had peel and eat shrimp and I tried crawfish (that was my first and last crawfish meal).

We drove around the Island and saw the mansions of the rich and famous, who would vacation here and arrive aboard their private ships.

 

 

Too windy to sit outside

 

 

On our way to South Carolina, we stopped and had ice cream cones, at McDonalds - still hungry after lunch!

 

Got to The Candlewood Suites in Bluffton and Jeff picked us up for dinner at a chicken-wing restaurant and then we went back to the house to meet their new dog (Sirius).

Judy got home shortly after we arrived and we were able to catch up with her.  She had been at a rehearsal of her swim program, which we will see on Saturday.

 

 



Packing

Today we finished our packing.

Everything will fit in the car if Terry and I don't have to get in!

I returned the Internet equipment to Comcast and made a last-minute run to Dollar Tree for bubble wrap.

Terry cleaned the house while I was gone.

We went to lunch at First Watch and had our yummy pancakes.

Later we went to Diane and Tom's for a delicious dinner. We also brought them our leftover food!

We are doing some last- minute laundry and then will start loading the car.

Cruise Directors

Ethel and Sharon insisted on taking Terry and me to lunch today at TooJays, in Sumter Landings, as a thank you for being their "Cruise Directors."

I guess they have enjoyed the activities that we have done together! We know that we have enjoyed them as well.

After lunch, we came to our house to play mah jongg, and Joy joined us.  She was unable to make lunch and had still hoped that the rain would stop so she could play golf. 

The rain did stop and the sun came out but the ground must have been pretty wet and Joy did not want to play on wet grass, so we were able to enjoy her company one more time.

Sharon is seated, L-R Joy, Ethel and Terry

After mah jongg, Terry and I started to pack.  I got my big suitcase CLOSED and did not have to hire a 300 lb. man.  Of course, I held out some clothes for South Carolina and the trip home.

Talking about home.  What's with the snow???  Terry talked with the kids and everyone was home and accounted for.  Hoping that the snow will be gone and that no new snow falls between now and when we get home.

If we win the lottery, maybe three months next year!  Wishful thinking.



Webster Flea Market

Diane and Tom picked us up to go to the Webster Flea Market that is only open on Mondays.

It is the largest flea market we have seen.  I'd say that we only did about a quarter of it before we were worn out.  Terry and I did not find any bargains, Diane and Tom bought a few things.

 For more than 50 years, Webster Westside Flea Market has been a place to find everything imaginable! Many of our vendors have been in business here a long, long time.... some for more than 15 years.

You can find produce, flowers, bakery, jewelry,plants, boutiques, antiques, musical instruments, canopies, electronics, food, drinks and many other products and services!

 Come see for yourself why Webster Westside is a Central Florida shopping place Phenomenon! Open year-around every Monday rain or shine.

We left and went on a rural ride trying to decide where to have lunch.  We decided to go to Brownwood and try City Fire because none of us had been there.  We ate outside and it was delightful.

http://cityfirerestaurants.com/
      

The construction of new buildings at Brownwood is moving at a very fast pace.  By next year, we will not recognize the place.

15 Minutes of Fame

Today was a pajama day, we did not get dressed and both worked all day in our pajamas, until time to go to dinner.

We also decided on our route home, depending upon weather.

If you read the blog, you know that we went to a tea last week that was poorly attended.  However, there was a photographer/reporter there.

We made the Sunday paper!!!!  We could not get it any bigger, but you get the idea.

We got dressed in time to go to dinner at Ethel and Steve's.    

We had a delightful and delicious evening, with lots of laughs.

We all leave The Villages on Thursday.  Sharon and Norman and Ethel and Steve are flying home.  We are driving to South Carolina for a little family reunion and then home.

We are now watching the Academy Awards - who are all of these people?

Wonderful afternoon

We headed to Brandon, Florida (just under two hours away) for lunch with Elyse, Mark, and Katya. 

We have not seen them in about three years.  We missed Phil's funeral last year because we were just leaving Florida, so did not see them in Indianapolis.

In addition to spending two hours catching up, we got to see Katya's Bat Mitzvah photos (another event we had to miss).

We met at the Cheesecake Factory and had yummy lunches, with enough to take some home.  Terry and I shared a piece of cheesecake, so no dessert to take home....other than on the hips!

 

 

On the way back, MapQuest had us taking a strange route (not through a good neighborhood) and we quickly retraced our steps and just went back the way we usually go.

 



We got back too late for the Strawberry Festival, but Diane called and said it was "lame."  The craft fair at Sumter Landing is for two days, so we plan to go there tomorrow.

 

My telephone buzzed and there was a text, with a photo, from Stacy, who was at the Jewel buying Hamentashen.  Good price, I'm sure they look prettier than mine.

 

 

 





On the Road Again Prep

We left the house after breakfast this morning to go to Plaza Cadillac to have the car checked for our trip home.  Within an hour, we were out of there!

It was such a glorious day, that we decided to seek out the restaurant we had spotted on our last trip to Mt. Dora.  It is on the Dead River (do you love the name?)!

The restaurant was Hurricane Dockside Grill and we ate outside. 

Some kids saw the Gator, but we saw nothing.

We ate on the deck and saw boats dock and deposit patrons.

Our lunch

Did I mention that we ate outside and it was 80 degrees???

From there we went to Water Oak for a Flea Market.  We did not buy anything, but did look at the properties in the complex.  Nice complex of manufactured homes, near The Villages.



Got a few things at Dollar Tree and then came home. 

 Diane called and said that my mail was there so I ran over to get it.  Have been too busy working tonight to even open it.  Hope to do that soon. 





High Tea

At the end of January, I saw something in the Recreation News about a tea at Canal Street Recreation Center, at 1 P.M. today, for $3 per person.

Terry and I were interested and we asked others if they would like to go too.  Sharon and Joy said sure!

When Terry and I got to the Rec Center (early, of course), I went to look at the room and it was just set two to a table and five tables!  First clue that it might be a little lame.

The person in charge of the Rec. Center said that there would be 10 of us!  Of course, our group was 4, so just 6 others had signed up.  We waited until her "boss" got there, a little delayed because of a sick child.

Actually, the "boss" brought the food.  Chicken salad with cranberries, croissants, assorted breads, and dessert (cookies and mini éclairs).  With an assortment of teas, you helped yourself to cup of hot water.  It was paper plates, plastic silverware, and an assortment of mugs.

When we got into the room, I asked if we could rearrange it so our group and the lady we met in the lobby (Charlene  from Ohio) could all sit together.  Two other ladies wanted to sit by themselves and two had not arrived as yet.  Two ladies arrived late, they got lost, and the 10th person never showed.

While we were having our tea, a reporter from the local paper came and took our photos and interviewed us.  It turns out that Amanda, the reporter, is from Chicago near Midway Airport!

She asked us if this was a typical high tea and where else we might have had high tea.  All at our table had experienced elegant teas in various places in the world.  The most unusual one, was a high tea that Charlene had experienced in Turkey.

Terry is kicking herself that she (Terry) did not take a photo of us.  However, the reporter took some photos so we may be in the paper tomorrow!

We went to Anthony's to see if we could use our coupons from yesterday.  Terry bought a beautiful jacket (see below).  You really cannot make out how stunning it is from the photo.  It sparkles and looks terrific on her.

From there, we went to Beall's Outlet and Terry found another jacket that will go with a lot of things.

Because Terry did not have a black shell with her, we went to WalMart and she got one that will do
the trick for now.

We went to recycle our newspapers at the Temple and then came home to a spaghetti dinner.

In The Height of Fashion

We picked up Ethel, Sharon and Diane and headed to The Cattle Barron Club for a luncheon/fashion show put on by Anthony's, a nice shop in Colony Plaza.

The lunch was the choice of three items and was nothing to write home about.  Getting butter for our bread and cream for Sharon's coffee was a bit of a challenge.  Did I mention the champagne?  A little bubbly at lunch is a nice touch.  They never did refill our glasses, but that was probably for the best since I was the designated driver.

The models were our age, with lovely figures, and the fashions were mostly things we'd wear.  In fact, they gave us coupons for some money off and I know that Diane made a run up there and bought a few things.

We dropped Ethel off at the movie in Sumter Landing to meet Steve.  Norman was picking up Sharon (at least we hope he did)  as we left her sitting outside waiting for him. 

Marilyn seated - standing: Diane, Ethel, Sharon, Terry



When we got home, Terry took a walk and I participated in a conference call with the Political Affairs Committee of my REALTOR Board.  It's local election time and we were discussing races and making recommendations to our state political action committee.

Terry talked with Betty, and it is official, she is moving to California, after all of these years in Indianapolis, to be closer to one of her sons and grandchildren.

Terry baked chicken kiev for dinner and they were good.  We are on a clean out the freezer project as we leave a week from tomorrow.

We are both working on our laptops, but I'm going to go and read the paper before it gets too late.

Artsy Fartsy

When we make a date with our cousin Steve and do something cultural, we call it artsy fartsy - so today was an artsy fartsy day (minus Steve).

After lunch, we drove to Ocala to go to the Appleton Art Museum.  It was not crowded and we really had the galleries to ourselves.

Mr. Appleton donated most of the art work or gave them money to purchase art.

There was Pre-Columbian Art, New World "Treasures," Asian, and Victorian art on the first floor.

Also on the first floor was an impressionist exhibit of American women artists on loan from the Huntsville Museum of Art.

The second floor had 34 works of sculpture done by Chick Schwartz: Cedar Key Artist. His work is very interesting and abstract.

Also on the second floor was an impressive collection of Mr. Appleton's art, including a Rodin - The Thinker!

The brochure that we picked up at the Museum

The outside of the building - they were working on the stairs, so we had to enter from a side entrance

A fountain leading to the entrance

Terry and an outdoor piece of art

The Thinker

We stopped at Diane and Tom's for my mail (this was the first week that my mail arrived later than Terry's).

Ethel and Steve picked us up and we went to Sharon and Norm's for a delicious dinner.  And, yes, they did taste the hamentashen and no one keeled over!

Almost forgot:  I had posted the weather in The Villages on a friend's page on Facebook.  The friend just took a job in Florida and is moving from the Chicago Area.

From that posting, I got an email from another past president of our REALTOR Board letting me know that she had just moved down here.  We talked and will try to get together, but our time is limited before we leave.  Small world.

It's been a full day and it is now time to go to bed.

Shell Oil Reunion

While Terry cleaned the carpets this morning, I went to have a pedicure with Kelly at Angela's Nails, close to the house.  She did a nice job and the shop was very serene!

Went to Chase Bank, got a car wash at the neighborhood Shell station, and then stopped at Publix.

When I got back, the carpets looked lovely and Terry was a happy camper.

Worked a little and read a little.  It was cool, but not cold and the sun was out, so a nice day in The Villages.  I got to wear my Villages sweatshirt and was very comfortable. (Ida, Terry and I bought the sweatshirts at Sumter Landing - they were so well priced we could not resist).  I was glad to have it on such a cool day.

We got dressed in better clothes and went to meet an old friend of Terry's (with whom she had worked at Shell Oil Company).   Terry and Barb worked together when they were young marrieds.  Barb and Bernie have been in The Villages for 15 years, when Spanish Springs was the only town center and their area was the new area.

We had a yummy dinner at Oakwood (famous for their ribs) and had a great time catching up.

After dinner, we went to their lovely home for dessert.

It was good to see them after all of these years.  None of us has changed at all!!!

Addiction Times Two

After lunch, we went to the Flea Market - addiction # 1, so Terry could see if there was a Le Sport Sac purse being held for her.  There wasn't!  I did buy a rolling pin for $2- read on and you'll find out why!

From there we went to The Dollar Tree - addiction #2 and then to Staples for Terry to get the tax program that she uses to do the family corporate returns and personal returns.

We came back home and I started to make Hamantashen - hence the need for the rolling pin!  Purim is coming and I had thought it would be nice to have some Hamantashen.  In fact, I had called the Temple to ask where one could purchase it.  They said Publix, so when Janet and I were there earlier in the week, I ordered some from the bakery for next week.  Terry was appalled by the price and what it was going to cost.

So....do you feel it coming?????

 I made Hamantashen and cancelled the order at Publix.

 Ethel, if you are reading this, don't faint or call me a traitor to the non-cooking sisterhood! 

They somewhat resemble Hamantashen and were a LOT less money than Publix. 

Yes, Ethel, you will get to taste them!

 

Here they are cooling.  Terry and I have each tasted them and have not doubled over, so I guess they are okay.

I had enough ingredients for another half a batch, but it was too much standing and I called it a day!

Terry wanted to spray and clean the carpets in the living room/dining room tonight.  I asked her to wait until tomorrow and do it right before we leave the house.  We had some words and I think she is pouting in another room!  We rarely argue, so after almost two months of togetherness, I guess it was time.

Carol Berger emailed wanting to know when Thelma and Louise would be back.  For others wanting to ask the same question - -we leave Florida for South Carolina on February 28.  We'll visit cousins in South Carolina and then head home.  We hope to stop in Indianapolis before the final drive home. We have theater tickets on the 8th of March so we are aiming for that.

Bye, Bye Janet

We all got up early, had breakfast and headed to the airport so Janet could go home.  We only wish the weather had been better for her stay.  We had a few nice days, but two rainy ones.

She sent an email that the trip went well and that it was COLD in Chicago!  We are hoping that all of the snow and cold will have left by the time we get back.

We went to Brownwood (the third square in The Villages) as today was the Farmer's Market.  It was crowded and the booth that was the most crowded was the one with gluten-free breads.  We bought tomatoes and strawberries.  Haven't tried the strawberries as yet, but the tomatoes were wonderful.

We had a deli lunch at home and then Terry did laundry.  We unmade the air mattress that Diane and Tom lent us for the hide-a-bed in the den, and will return it tomorrow.  We could not get it as flat as Tom was able to do when he lent it to us.

We had our leftover shrimp from last night and some leftover soup for dinner, before getting dressed in finer duds for Cabaret Night at Savannah Center.  Diane had ordered the tickets and we were at a table on the main floor.  They brought wine for us and it was a delightful evening.  Terry took a photo of the poster outside the theatre entrance.  It is not great, but it is all we have.  The acts were terrific, it is amazing how much talent there is here in The Villages.  There were singers, comedians, a magician and a ventriloquist in the show that lasted over two hours.  We are still laughing about one of the jokes...a man drives up to  a retirement home and sees five naked old ladies laying on the grass...he goes in and asks "why are these women laying naked on the lawn".  He is told... they are all old hookers and they are having a lawn sale.

Sunshine

It was a beautiful day in The Villages.  A little cool, but the sun was out!

Janet and I went to Beall's so she could buy a gift for a neighbor and then we went to Publix to get some dessert for tonight.

Terry was busy working in the "clouds" while we were gone.

When Terry finished working we went to Arnold Palmer for lunch and sat inside watching the golfers take practice shots.  They would buy buckets of balls from a dispenser and then practice hitting them!  It was fun to watch them while we were eating our lunch.

It was a busman's holiday for me, as we went to look at some of the newer models.  Nothing that I was in love with about the models that we saw.

We came back home to get ready to go to dinner and Temple with Ethel and Steve and Sharon and Norm.

We had a delicious dinner at Red Lobster and then Janet and I left to save spots at the Temple. 

After services, we came back to our house for dessert.

Rain Rain Go Away

We feel so bad for Janet, as today was a real wash out! It rained all day.

We lazed around all day hoping that it would clear.

Janet did her Hebrew homework so the day wasn't a total loss.

Finally, after lunch, we were all dressed.  Then I feel asleep, then Terry had some work she had to do, then Janet feel asleep.

Finally, we left the house.  Unfortunately, too late to go to the new home open houses I had hoped to see.

We decided to take a ride to downtown Leesburg, as we had never seen the actual downtown.  There was a nice little main street (ironically, called Main Street).  But, it was raining and no one was up for going out and walking Main Street.

We did ride by a house with some history.  It was not open for viewing, but if you wanted to get married there they could accommodate you.  This is the photo and story that was on the Internet.

The Mote-Morris House, was built in 1892 for eight-term Leesburg mayor, Edward H. Mote, and his wife Lucretia, and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. It cost about $9,000 to build.

The two-story home has been owned by three families. The Motes moved from the home in 1908 and Bishop Henry Clay Morrison bought it as a retirement residence. And in 1918, the home was sold to John S. and May James Morris. A member of the Morris family would live in the house for the next 70 years.

Morrison United Methodist Church bought the house in August 1988 and offered it to whoever would move it. Residents of Leesburg rallied round the old house and raised $95,000 for a new site. On Sept. 1, 1990, the Mote-Morris House was relocated to 1195 W. Magnolia Street from 1021 W. Main Street. More than 400 people watched as the 150-ton house was moved one block south and two blocks west.

The Mote-Morris House is a fine example late Victorian architecture. It is an interesting combination of styles, including its four-story turret, and two-story bay on the east side of the house. It is one of only a few original residences remaining. The house was built shortly after the town was platted. It has had only minor changes in its 102-year history. Several bathrooms have been added, as well as a porch or two.

The front room, just to the left of the foyer, is the formal parlour. The main stairway is L-shaped and leads to the three bedrooms on the second floor. The doorway from the parlour leads to the music room, which had been the family parlour. A small hallway leads from the music room to the dining room, which can also be accessed from the front foyer. The glass case in the hallway serves as a display for artifacts discovered during an archaeological dig performed by experts and students from Oak Park Middle School shortly after the house was moved in 1990. A pantry from the dining room leads to the kitchen, which has been modernized over the years. There is also a bathroom off of the music room.

Originally, the second floor had three bedrooms, plus a nursery and a servant’s room to the rear of the home. The servant’s room also had a back stairway that led to the kitchen and first floor. The main bedroom had been the one on the west side of the house. The nursery could be reached from the main bedroom and the east bedroom. The second-floor study, at the base of the tower, could also be reached from the main bedroom and also the front bedroom. That study has been turned into a bathroom. It also contains the stairway leading to the third floor study and fourth floor loft. The nursery area has been turned into a bathroom and the servant’s room is now a kitchen.

The Mote-Morris House is available to rent for personal functions such as weddings by calling 728-9898. The historic house is also open to the public on the second and fourth Saturdays of each month from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.
                 

 

   

 

501 W. Meadow Street, Leesburg, FL 34749 : ©2006 - 2013 City of Leesburg
(352) 728-9700

 

It would have been interesting to tour the house, but we were there on the wrong day.

 

We came back home and rested and read until it was time to eat leftovers.

 

Not a very exciting day - Janet is not getting the full The Villages experience because of the weather.  We are hoping that tomorrow will be a better day.

Varied Day

After breakfast, we went to Lake Sumter Landing thinking we could get onto the 11:30 trolley.  However, it was pulling away as we arrived.
.
We registered for the 12:30 trolley ride and went to have lunch at Panera.  Today was Wednesday, so no chicken and wild rice soup, but I made do with tomato soup.  Panera is attached to the Sales Office and it was quick.  We were back in time to get on the 12:30 trolley.

The tour guide and bus driver varied the route and narrative from the last trolley ride we took when Ida was here. It's always interesting.

It rained (poured) while we were on the bus.  By the time we had to get off of the bus, it was just a light drizzle.  We got some cups of coffee and sat on the porch waiting for the drizzle to stop.

Terry and Janet

Since we were going to be on a bus when my REALTOR Board of Directors was meeting with the Past Presidents of the Board, I did not participate in the meeting.  I had helped the Past Presidents with the list of items about which we had some concern, so felt that I had added my 2 cents!

We went to the Postal Evidence of the Holocaust Exhibit  at The Savannah Center.  When we arrived, we were ushered into a room where a survivor was speaking.  Unfortunately, Janet could not hear most of what she said.  But, her story was one of an amazing will to live. At 73, she got her GED and was the oldest person in Sumter County to have done so.  When we went to look at the envelopes, Janet asked someone about the exhibit and they said it was on loan from -  are you ready  for this - the Skokie Holocaust Museum!  A family foundation sponsors the exhibit - here's the link for more information.  http://www.spungenfoundation.org/

You cannot be in The Villages without shopping at Beall's or Beall's Outlet.  We took Janet to Beall's Outlet where she bought a top and I bought a pair of shoes.  Terry did not buy anything.

We had a little afternoon nap and then went to Mom and Dad's for dinner. 

We came home to play Golf, a card game that we had played last weekend with Diane and Tom and Joyce and Jim.  We were uncertain of the rules so I looked them up on the Internet.  I started to read them, but Terry got impatient and said "just print them."  Eleven pages later, we knew more than we ever wanted to know about the game.

State of the Union

After lunch at home, we went to Ethel's for mah jongg on the screened porch - it was a beautiful day.  Not enough jokers, but a fun afternoon.  The photo is not great because of the sun!!!

Terry and Ethel in the back, Janet and Sharon in front

 

 

Can you see my pushers?  I'm so excited that I got pushers for my mah jongg set that help move the tiles to the middle of the table!  It's not hard to get excited about little things!

 

During mah jongg, I asked if everyone was going to watch The State of the Union Address.  Ethel said she was going to watch the Westminster Dog Show!  She said the look on my face was priceless.  For a political junkie to hear that a dog show wins out over The State of Union Address is like a knife in the heart!

 

After mah jongg, we drove over to Spanish Springs thinking that we would enjoy Mardi Gras.  But, many others had the same idea.  There was no parking, so we called Diane and Tom and said don't look for us.  We'll save our beads and masks for next year (God willing).

 

We went over to Sumter Landing instead.  It was market night there and we wandered the booths.  Terry and Janet went to explore more booths while I scored three seats to listen to the music and watch the dancing.  They returned after getting a real bargain on some gifts for the ladies in our families.  We had our bottles of water and listened to the music and watched people line dancing.

 

Janet and Marilyn at Sumter Square

 

We left to walk over to the Waterfront Hotel, where we had parked the car and where we were meeting Ethel, Steve, Sharon, and Norm for dinner.  It was two for $20 night at Amelia's, the restaurant in the hotel.  We had a Restaurant.com certificate that Janet, Terry and I used instead of the two for $20 night.  Everyone else used the two for $20 deal!  We laughed a lot and enjoyed our meals.

 

We got back in time for me to participate in the Township Board Meeting.  They asked for a weather report in Florida.  When I told them that it was 80 degrees, they all groaned!  We had a discussion about proposed changes to the health insurance policy that we offer our employees.  Of course, I had to add my two cents worth!  I'm sure they were thrilled that I added my 2 cents worth - not!

 

The meeting was over in time to watch The State of the Union Address (or the dog show, if you were so inclined)!  I especially liked what the President said about housing!

 

Terry slept through some of the address.  Janet and I made it though the whole address, but turned off the TV for the commentary and response.

Janet Comes to The Villages

We went to the airport to pick up Janet, whose plane was 20 minutes early.  We got out of the airport in good order and headed to The Villages.

We started The Villages tour with the new area and Brownwood and then went over to the Havana Country Club for lunch (3 more country clubs left if you are keeping count)!

Here's Janet eating outdoors at Havana Country Club - another beautiful day in The Villages!

We then went to Sumter Landing and Spanish Springs before going into the Historic District and then headed over to Savannah Center, were I picked up some tickets for a tea that we are going to attend later this month with Sharon and Joy.

Savannah Center is a Regional Center and Terry and Janet waited for me on one of the couches.

We then went for gas and dropped some mail at the postal station before coming back to the house.

Janet unpacked and then we all took naps! Janet was up at 4 a.m.!

After dinner, Janet and I talked while Terry was on a conference call with a sub-committee of the Temple's Caring Community.

Cinderella

Terry and I cleaned today!

We did not leave the house until after three to go recycle newspapers at the Temple. We went to Chase bank and I put a deposit in the overnight box.

Are you getting bored yet???

Walmart was the next stop, we each took a cart and shopped.

I almost had a nervous breakdown in the toilet paper aisle-too many choices!

I got the perfect tops that I had been searching for at Walmart of all places.

I shouldn't be too surprised as an elegant friend often shops there.

We had our Italian leftovers for dinner and
Terry is painting her toenails and we are doing more laundry!

Sorry it is not a more interesting post - but life sometimes is just ordinary!

Intrepid Shoppers

We were back at the Marion Flea Market, because I wanted to get more bras  (sorry Stacy - bras is not a dirty word).  When we got to the booth, the bras were no longer there.  I inquired about them and the lady at the booth told me to go outside to the back of the blue mini van and they were there.

This was a first - I actually bought bras out of the back of a blue mini van (from the lady's husband)!!!!  Talk about buying something that "just fell off of the truck."

Terry bought a top from the booth where Ida had done so well a few weeks ago.  That lady commented that she knew that Terry likes Le Sport Sac purses and that since we are there often if she has another one she would put it aside for her!

We then were walking back to our car and someone else commented that it was good to see us regulars again!!

We went to Entenmanns and then went home for a bite to eat.  On the way home, we saw this adorable red Smart car with black dots that looked like a lady bug. 

After resting, and my doing laundry, we changed clothes to go to Diane and Tom's for dinner.  Joyce and Jim were there too and we had a great dinner and a lot of laughs.  We played a card came called Golf and I think Jim won!  Joyce also went to high school with us.

Tom Standing, Diane, Joyce and Jim

Diane had a shirt on that had a lady bug!  So it was our lady bug day!  Lady bugs are good luck!

Mah Jongg and DixieLand

We both worked this morning.  While Terry was on a conference call with her co-chair of the Caring Committee (for Temple), I went to the post office and the drug store to pick up my prescriptions.

I just love the Walgreen app on my telephone, I can order the drugs from the app, by scanning the prescription bar codes, and then go and pick them up.  The app knows if I am in Florida or Skokie!

We had a bite of lunch (leftover cold cuts for me and left-over quesadilla casserole for Terry) and then picked up Ethel to go to Sharon's for mah jongg.  We used my new pushers for the first time, I was so excited!  Joy joined us and we played five-handed, so someone sat out each round and could get a nibble.

Sharon, Joy, Ethel, Marilyn

 

 

Sharon, Ethel, Terry and Marilyn

 

 

After mah jongg, we hurried home for more left overs (chicken roll ups) as a fast dinner and left to go pick up Diane and Tom to go to Spanish Springs and The Church on the Square to hear The Barbary Coast Dixieland Show Band.  They were great. 

During the first set, they invited a local pianist, who is blind, up to play the piano with them.  OMG, can he play!  I could watch his fingers and they were just flying.  We went back to Diane and Tom's for coffee and looked at the album from their 50th anniversary (last year).

Got two emails from Mindy.  One telling us that Jeremy now has the flu!   Poor kid, he had to miss doing tech for the school play tonight.

 Second email was a photo of Miranda and Colette - Miranda now has only one more belt before testing for black belt in Taekwondo.

 

Miranda and her friend Colette

 

 

Heard from cousin Rick, who left here and drove to South Carolina to visit with Judy and Jeff, he's feeling much better!  Hope the blizzard in the East is over before he drives back to New Jersey.



Bronchitis

Our cousin Rick is visiting and had a nasty cough.  Today, around 10:30 a.m., when he called from his hotel, he did not feel well and said he would call us later.

About 12:30, he called and said he was feeling better and would come over for lunch.  When he got here, I suggested that he go to Urgent Care, but he said no he was feeling better.

After lunch, and a nap, he took my suggestion and went to the Urgent Care facility.  He has bronchitis!

They gave him a shot and two prescriptions which he took when he got back to the house.

When he got back he was not coughing and we had dinner.  He left shortly after dinner to go back to his hotel to rest up before his trip tomorrow to visit his brother and sister-in-law, Jeff and Judy in Bluffton, SC.

Original plans had been to see the movie Lincoln, but we suggested that was not a good idea.

There was also Mardi Gras at Sumter Landing.  It rained, so we did not feel too bad about missing Mardi Gras, especially since there is another one next week at Spanish Springs.

Anchors Away

We ran a few errands and then picked up Rick at his hotel.  That was after going to Belks to pick up my makeup! Yea!  They got it in today!  Returned some tops at Kohl's - it's becoming habit forming, this buying and returning.

He said he wanted fruit for lunch, after having had a big breakfast at the hotel, so we went to First Watch.  Rick had fruit and a bagel and Terry and I had the most marvelous pancakes EVER.  Service was a little slow, but the food was good.

We then showed Rick the new areas of the Villages and Brownwood  (the third square).

Because we are Glazers - all, we went back to our house to rest before our next activity!

Terry and I have always talked about taking the Lake Sumter boat ride and we owed Rick a boat ride.  When Rick was last in Chicago, we were on our way to Lake Geneva and a boat ride when the weather turned iffy and we did not get all the way up to Lake Geneva.

The boat is $2 per person:

The three of us were the only passengers.  The first mate was a navy man who talked about the Lake.  It was pretty lame, but Rick got his boat ride.  There was a rusted out boat in the "harbor" and they said that was the "dinner cruise boat."  Kidding, of course!

Rick got a drink from one of the bars in Sumter Square so he was fortified for our 1/2 hour cruise

We then went to R. J. Gator's for a fish dinner and dinner was excellent.

After dinner, we dropped Rick off at his hotel so he could rest.  He has the end of a cold and a cough.

Cousins

We both went to the beauty shop today and then had lunch outside at the water bagel restaurant.  I look like a gangster in the photo that Terry took.  Don't know why I wasn't smiling, after all I was going to be eating a water bagel with egg salad!

After stopping at Belk's to pick up my pre-ordered Clinique products (for the gift, of course), I learned that they had not filled my order because they ran out of my foundation.  Hopefully, tomorrow when they get another shipment they will be able to fill the order.

Still trying to match two tops.  Came close today but did not like the necklines so will return them tomorrow.

Came home to rest and prepare dinner.  Terry made baked brie as an appetizer and a Quesadilla Casserole for dinner.  Our cousin, Rick, was coming for dinner.  He had been in Miami taking an Elderhostel course.  We had a nice visit, but he is recovering from a cold and left early to go to his hotel to rest.  He didn't even want a piece of pina colata pie before he left.  We will see him again tomorrow. Hopefully, he will feel better tomorrow.

Another Tour

Friends, Ruth and Morley, visited today.  After a deli lunch at our house, with pina colata pie for dessert, we took them on a tour of The Villages.  We are getting quite proficient and should work for The Villages as tour directors.

After the tour, we came back to our house for a cold drink and made some calls to get them a hotel room not too far from Ruth's cousin who they will be visiting tomorrow. They went to Sarasota before coming here and are having a nice little vacation.

They decided on the Hampton Inn and left to check in.  We rested and then picked them up for dinner at Luigino's, a newer Italian restaurant in Spanish Springs.  We thought eating in Spanish Springs would be good because it was market night there, in addition to the music and dancing.

After dinner we walked around the square but it was cold (I know nothing like Chicago) but we have been spoiled and it was a chilly night.

Ruth and Morley forgot to pack castor oil, which they swear helps their joints.  They stopped and got some on their way to the hotel and bought me a bottle too for my knees.  A little dab will do it they say.  I'm eager to try it!

Lazy Day

We went to pick up Terry's mail (that finally arrived)!

From there, we went to get a badly needed car wash.  We went to the car wash where you sit in the car and everything swirls around you.

From there we went back to the Flea Market to pick up some items.  We purchased some bras yesterday as an experiment, and they appear to be comfortable, so we went back for more.

Did a quick run to Walmart for some last-minute items for lunch tomorrow when a friend comes to visit.

Had all three meals at home today, eating leftovers!

Terry did laundry and we both spent the evening reading and checking email and Facebook.  No Super Bowl for us.

Friends Arrive for the Month

Today, we started out going to the Flea Market and found the stalls we were looking for and we were in and out of there in under 30 minutes.

Terry ran into the Dollar Tree for an ice cream scoop and a pastry brush and then we went to the Art and Music in the Park, in Lady Lake.  It took us about 30 minutes to go through the booths.  The music was a man singing to a recording - lame!  Last year it was much better and they had live music.  In fact, last year the entertainment was someone whom we knew from Oakton College's Empty Bowls event.

We then went to Panera to pick up some bread for our dinner party and decided to have lunch while there.  We each had soup.  Yes, they have the chicken and wild rice soup on Saturday!

We picked up my mail at Diane and Tom's and then went over to Lake Miona Recreation Center for a book fair.  Unfortunately, the author we really wanted to see was not there.  We did buy some books from the President of the Authors' Group, which we will give as gifts.

Here's the inside of the recreation center.

Our next stop was Publix for some last minute items.

Terry was busy making her baked brie appetizer and chicken roll ups for dinner.  I made the salad!

Our guests arrived at 6 p.m.  Both couples are here for the month!

Ethel and Steve are our neighbors in Summerhill, renting a house about 3/4 of a mile from us.

Sharon and Norman are staying south of here and experienced a lot of twists and turns getting to our house.  They were going to count on their GPS to get them back to their rented house.

We are trying to figure out which toll booth we blew off in order to send money to the Turnpike Authority for the missed toll.  The booth would only take coins and had no attendant.  We did not have coins, so we blew it off!  This was on Thursday when we took Ida back to the airport.

Time for bed!!!