Thursday - Another Gorgeous Day in Florida!

After a great night's sleep, the 4 of us were outside for coffee and chai drinking by 8:30.  It was a beautiful sunny morning and in the upper 60's.  Then we headed inside to enjoy breakfast together and plan our day.

We left the house at 10 and drove to the new development, Finney, that will be the next phase of The Villages.  They have already sold numerous homes in that area and it really only started this spring.  We went to the newly built 18 hole putting golf course there and it was a lot of fun.  We played all 18 holes and the longest putting green was 140 feet with very few of them being straight shots.  Most of them were very curved and sloped.  Chuck was the winner but I would say we all did reasonably well.

When we finished we drove through one of the sections where they have patio homes completed and toured an open house.  It is amazing how many they have sold already.  

We drove back to the house to have lunch and change outfits for playing pickleball.  Before leaving, I had a conversation with a public relations gentleman at Winnebago to gather information and try to understand what is "going on" with Wilbur.  He was helpful and very courteous.  We appreciate what good "soundboards" Melissa and Chuck are when we are in the midst of this process and how they can identify with our feelings.  I got another call from a service manager at Winnebago who even shed more light as to what is going on and more detail on how these issues should be addressed.  Later I had a conversation with Samantha at Lazydays relaying the information I had gotten from Winnebago.  Hopefully we are all on the "same page".  I guess time will tell.

The 4 of us left to play pickleball and had another great time.  I played in my SAS both for the golf and pickleball and it went well.  It really is a bit restrictive, but I believe it is definitely beneficial.  We only returned to the house at 6 and Melissa made a chicken pie while I got salads ready for the 4 of us.  After showers we enjoyed a delicious meal together, cleaned up, and played the final round of Samba.  The men were winning by about 3,500 points after the 1st 3 rounds, but only ended up winning by 385 points at the very end.  We then started a game of Mexican Train which we will finish another night.  Melissa is in the lead.

Tomorrow morning Ken and I will head to Lazydays to meet with Samantha, one of the service technicians, and to get somethings we need to take with us to St. Augustine on Monday.  We had planned to be in Harbor Lakes CG starting tomorrow, but you know about "the best laid plans"!  We are just hoping all the repairs will be completed by next Thursday and we can pick up Wilbur on our return trip from St. Augustine.  We hope to be set-up in Harbor Lakes later that day.  Staying another 3 1/2 days with Chuck and Melissa has been such a blessing and we love having additional time with them.  They are the best!!!!

Wednesday with Chuck and Melissa!

By 8:15 the four of us were sitting outside chatting and enjoying our coffee and chai.  It was another gorgeous morning with lots of sunshine and already 63 degrees - amazing!

A Gorgeous Home on a quiet cul-de-sac!

Enjoying our drinks and the beautiful morning!

Maybe next year, Chuck!

After having breakfast we discussed our plans for the day and decided to drive to one of the many shuffleboard courts.  Of course, as per usual, the men played against the women and the men were winners by a huge margin.  I think Melissa and I will have to have a re-match!  We went back to their home to grab a quick snack and then it was off to the pickleball courts.  We had some exciting, close games with lots of good volleys.  We played about 5 games and by then it was 1:50 and time to get back to shower and change before Neil and Nancy Savage arrived!  I wore my SAS (activity suit) to play shuffleboard and pickleball and it wasn't a problem.  I may have had just a little bit less mobility (at least that is what I told the 3 of them!), but it seemed to work well!

Every game we play together produces lots of fun and laughter!

I had 2 nice phone conversations, one with my mom and the other with my sister and all is well!  By then it was 3:15 and Neil and Nancy arrived.  They are friends from back home that have been full-timing in their 5th wheel for over 5 years.  Currently they are staying in a campground about 4 miles from here so we were thrilled for the opportunity for all of us to get together, because they also know Chuck and Melissa.  After a tour of the house we drove to Oakwood Barbeque for their special - a full rack of ribs with 2 sides for $13.99 and I must say that it is probably the best ribs I have ever eaten.  So good, that I was the 1st one done eating and everyone was "shocked"!  What a great time of food and fellowship!  

So nice that all of us could be together!

Looks like a rather serious discussion!

Melissa is perplexed!!!

Fun to be with Neil and Nancy!

We all went to one of the "Town Squares" to hear the music and be part of the celebration for the lighting of the huge Christmas tree.  The baton twirling group, dance ensemble, cheerleaders, and drummers, all members being residents of The Villages, were very entertaining and you could tell they take their part very seriously and rehearse faithfully.  We were all given green or red plastic cups with candles which we lit before the lighting of the tree and there was a time for singing Christmas carols.  It was a fun event that was very well attended.  I believe people come "out of the woodwork".  So far we have noticed that everything that is done by The Villages is "1st Class"!

Rolex wanted to show us his special watch!

Ready to join the line to get our candles!

People really go "all out" here in The Villages!

The baton twirlers!

If you look closely, this is The Villages version of
The Rockets!

What a gorgeous tree to get into the
spirit of  Christmas!

A Fun evening for all!

We said our good-byes to Neil and Nancy and then headed back to the house to play Pinochle.  I was a bit of a "party pooper" and at 9:30 we headed to bed.  I needed a good night's sleep.  Oh yes, the men did win our 1 game of Pinochle.

We did talk to our service rep, Samantha, today and they are still waiting for the arrival of the needed parts for the repairs and an approval from the warranty company!  So, Chuck and Melissa have graciously offered for us to stay until we leave on Monday for 4 days in St. Augustine with Rick and Joyce which gives Lazydays an extra week for completing the repairs.  What great friends and we are so grateful.  Selfishly, Ken and I are excited to have extra days to be with them because we always have such a good time when we are together.  

So, as much as we are a bit frustrated with what is happening with Wilbur, we realize how blessed we are to have such a great place to stay and that we get to spend additional time with special friends.  Life is Good and we are celebrating!

Day 2 with the Gregorys!

Ken and I were up around 6:45 and he did some reading and devotions while I showered and got ready for the day.  We joined Chuck and Melissa around 8:00 and the 4 of us sat outside enjoying our coffee and chai in the warm, sunny weather.  Around 9:30 we discovered that Chuck and Melissa had already had breakfast, so it was time for Ken and I to "get moving"!  I love that Melissa just gives us "free range" of the kitchen and doesn't feel like she has to wait on us.  So, Ken and I made egg sandwiches while we all chatted!

After breakfast, the 4 of us got on our bikes and took an 11 mile ride throughout this section of The Villages.  I am not sure how you ever find your way around without getting lost!  You can ride around forever!  We stopped at one of the many community centers to watch them playing ping pong.  Chuck has enjoyed being part of that club.  There were some very good players and after about 1/2 hour of being spectators, Ken and Chuck played about 4 games with 2 of the members.  They had a good time, but were unable to win any of the games.

When we returned to their house, Chuck made us one of his favorite smoothies complete with some spinach!  It was rather tasty!  We changed clothes and drove to the pickleball courts where we played about 6 games.  None of us had played for quite awhile and we had some good games and long volleys.  It was so much fun!  Back to the house to shower and get ready to go to dinner at McAlisters here in The Villages.  It is place a lot like Panera Bread, only much better.  We walked to the town square to listen to the music.  Every evening, 365 days a year, they have a live band playing and there are at least 3 town squares.  Hard to imagine!

Back by 7 so we could begin our evening of card playing.  Ken and I thought we would teach them how to play Hand and Foot, but here in The Villages they play a game that is almost the same except for a few slight variations - Samba!
So, that is what we played this evening and we had a great time!

Bed around 11 and I worked on the blog before calling it a day and what a special one it was!  We love spending time with Chuck and Melissa!

So Good to be with Chuck and Melissa Again!

On Monday morning, Ken and I were up by 7:00 and after getting ready, we were departing the CG at Lazydays by 7:45.  We drove to the service center parking area and then headed to the cafeteria for breakfast.

We met with Samantha, our service adviser, at 9:00 to discuss what needed to be done to Wilbur and were on our way to Chuck and Melissa's at The Villages by 9:30.  We made one stop for gas and to get some drinks before meeting Chuck and Melissa at the parking lot at Publix near the entrance to the section of The Villages that is close to where they live.  What a happy reunion!

We arrived at their new home at 11:30 and what a gorgeous place it is.  After a tour both inside and out we spent time chatting and catching up on life and our families!  By 2 we were all hungry and decided to go to Sweet Tomatoes for "lupper"!  It is one of our favorite salad bar places when in Florida and we were not disappointed.  We took our time and enjoyed just being together (the food was great too!).  When we were leaving, Chuck and Melissa received a call that their motorhome was ready to be picked up after getting new tires and wheels.  So we drove to the "tire place" and Melissa and I followed Ken and Chuck in the motorhome back to the storage area where they keep their "rig". 

From there the 4 of us took a drive to the new phase where they have started construction in The Villages.  They will be building 14,000 new homes and already there are many under construction.  We  toured the newly built community center that was gorgeous as well as the outdoor pool and boardwalk around the preserve area.  Everything about The Villages is definitely 1st Class!

By the time we returned to their home, it was dark and after more chatting and lots of laughter, we played 2 games of Pinochle, each winning a game.

We are so thankful for their hospitality and just for the opportunity to be together again.

We did get a call from Samantha today and the roller and motor that are needed to repair the slide have to be ordered, so she call us daily with an update!  We also asked them to check the caulking on the roof and it needs to be replaced.  As we always say, RVing isn't for the faint of heart!!!

Sunday in Florida at Lazydays!

Ken was up early to do his reading and after a great night's sleep I only made an appearance around 8:30.  I had to catch up on some needed rest!  We had decided that today we should just relax and "take it easy".  I don't believe that really happened.

After getting ready for the day we left around 9:45 to go to a nearby Bob Evans for breakfast.  We really don't like to eat out often, but because we chose not to use the refrigerator until after Wilbur's service is completed, we don't have a lot of options.  We returned to the CG and decided we should make a trip to the local Costco and Wal-Mart for a few needed items before going to see Chuck and Melissa!  It is fairly limiting when you have no way to keep things cold!  So, we also stopped for a large fountain soda for each of us that could last us most of the day and it even had ice!

Upon our return to the CG, we spent a lot of time packing for our visit to Chuck and Melissa.  Amazing how much "stuff" we need to take with us.  Ken also disconnected the water and sewer so that we can go to the cafeteria here at Lazydays for our "free" breakfast and then meet with our service rep, Samantha, at 9.  We have to take Wilbur over to the service area when we go to breakfast so an early start is needed!

I did make a few sea glass pendants today and then I put on my SAS and we went for a walk around the grounds here at Lazydays and going in and out of some of the new RVs.  They seem to have an abundance of 5th wheels, travel trailers, and Class C's, but not very many motorhomes.  Not sure what that is about!!!

We decided to just have a light dinner in Wilbur - peanuts, cheese and crackers - we are living "large"!  I had a nice chat with Melissa to get the address of their home in The Villages.  We hope to be there before noon tomorrow.

I had planned to watch the Eagles game today, but unfortunately it was not broadcast here in Florida.  I am enjoying watching the Steelers game, but not sure I will be awake for all of it!  Time will tell!

Florida - Here We Come!

Well, we were actually up before the alarm went off and it seemed like we still had plenty of things to load.  It was only 26 degrees and very cold!  We hadn't loaded any food items or shampoo, hair spray, etc. ahead of time because we were afraid things would freeze!  We left the apartment around 3:15 and drove to the large parking lot at a nearby shopping center to hook-up the CRV.  It was dark, but the parking lot was well lit!

We were on our way by 3:45 AM and it was the perfect day for driving, although we were cold until Wilbur warmed up.  We did stop in York for a cup of coffee and a pumpkin spice cappaciano!  There was very little traffic for our drive around Baltimore and Washington DC (very unusual).  We were extremely thankful!  We did stop south of Richmond at a Denny's for a delicious breakfast.  There were several additional stops for gas and at rest stops along the way, but all went well.  We had decided to stop at a campground at about 2/3's of the way through South Carolina so we would be settled in before dark but that did not happen!  I called many CG's , but none of them had any campsites available - what was that about???  Ken was feeling good and said we will just keep driving.  We did some "rethinking and regrouping" when we stopped at the Welcome Center at the entrance to Georgia.  I made some phone calls to several Wal-Marts to ask if they allowed RV's to spend the night in their particular parking lot (lots of RVers stay at Wal-Marts) and if they feel it is a safe area.  We have never stayed in their parking lotz, but after talking to the gal at the Wal-Mart within 3 miles of the Florida border, we decided it was a good option.  

We arrived at the St. Mary's Wal-Mart at 7:45 after traveling 810 miles.  Needless to say we were happy to be done traveling!  There were 6 or 7 other rigs there and it was definitely a good experience and no cost to spend the night!  It is something we would definitely do again!

We were up by 6 and leaving the parking lot by 6:45.  It was another great driving day with plenty of sunshine and warm temperatures!  Again, the drive was a good, uneventful one.  We arrived at Lazydays near Tampa at 11:45 and happy to be there, especially since it was 73 degrees - perfect weather for this gal!  

We spent time finding places for the things that were in the car and Ken did a fantastic job de-winterizing Wilbur.  Last night we didn't have any hook-up's including water and we don't plan to start the refrigerator until after Lazydays has completed the maintenance work on Wilbur.  It is a bit inconvenient, but it just makes sense.  At least we now have running water!

Lazydays provides campers with lunch and breakfast when staying in their campground, so we headed to their cafeteria and had soup and salads.  We spent some additional time organizing and then I did some texts and e-mails and working on this blog!  Ken took a much needed nap after all that driving!

We really enjoyed watching the Auburn/Alabama football game - what an exciting one and I was so happy Auburn was victorious!  When it was over, Ken and I drove to a nearby Sonny's Barbeque for their delicious pulled pork sandwich.  It was as good as we remembered!  Back to Wilbur where we did some reading and watched a Hallmark Christmas movie.  It was a fun relaxing evening!  We were in bed by 10:30 and ready for a good night's sleep!  Looking forward to watching the Eagles and Steelers games tomorrow!  I am so excited to be in Florida, but I bet you already know that!

Tuesday, Wednesday, and Happy Thanksgiving!

Tuesday, I left the house at 9 for an appointment with my dermatologist in Lancaster.  She gave me a clean "skin" bill of health and I only need to return in November of next year for another check-up - hallelujah!!

I did some craft shopping at AC Moore and Michaels and stopped at Costco for some photos I had ordered and contacts that I will need when in Florida!  Back home for a late lunch and then Ken and I spent time getting things together for Florida and loading anything that we didn't have to be concerned that it could get too cold.  They were predicting some very cold temperatures for the overnight hours! 

Ken did some grilling for dinner and then left at 6 for his CR meeting.  I spent that time working on some crafting projects.  Off to bed as soon as he returned from CR.

Wednesday Ken left at 6:15 (I didn't even hear him go!) for an early breakfast meeting and from there headed to MCC for his volunteer work.  I spent that time making oat bran muffins, cleaning the kitchen, and doing some additional packing for Florida!  When Ken returned we spent more time trying to get everything we could into the car and Wilbur for our early departure on Friday!  It seemed like a never ending job!

After dinner, we played some Hand and Foot, did some reading, and then off to bed!

Happy Thanksgiving!  Today was a fabulous day with Jamie's family and her in-laws!  We were at Jamie's by noon and spent the entire day there leaving around 8.  What a fun time we had and she is positively the perfect hostess!  She had numerous hor'deorves waiting for us because she planned to have the cooked meal around 3:30.  I spent time with Bria and Cali doing a craft project and we had a great time together!  Dane and Jamie had purchased a turducken for a special treat that was filled with cornbread stuffing.  It is really difficult to find a turkey that swallowed both a duck and a chicken!  Unfortunately the meat did not want to cooperate with Jamie's time schedule.  It just didn't get done in the time that was suggested!  We ended up taking it out of the roaster and putting it in the oven.  Somehow, Jamie stayed totally unaffected by the change of plans, even though most of her other items for the meal were ready!  But, we were finally able to eat around 4:45 and everything was delicious - cubed baked potatoes, baked cubed sweet potatoes with bacon and maple syrup, roasted asparagus with diced tomatoes, roasted brussel sprouts, and green beans.  What a feast!  Jamie does it again!!!!

All of us, excluding Bria and Cali, spent the day just sitting in the kitchen during the making of dinner and cleaning-up chatting and sharing life!  It was a special day.  The only sad part for us was that Lanie's family wasn't with us.  They are visiting Bob's sister and her family in Michigan for 5 days, which they do every Thanksgiving.  We certainly miss having them share in this day!

Bria and Cali had two of their friends come after dinner for a sleepover.  Tradition at the Burkholder house has the whole family wearing their new Christmas pajamas from Thanksgiving until Christmas morning.  This year even Samson was part of the tradition.  I am not sure he was "all in"!

We went right to bed when we got home knowing that the alarm was set for 2:30 AM so we could get a very early start for our drive to Florida!  The phone rang at 9 and it was Lanie wishing us a Happy Thanksgiving and asking about our day.  It was great to talk to her!

Sunday and Monday - Windy Days

It was rather cool and windy when we headed off to Church on Sunday morning!  It was a very good service but unfortunately none of our Life Group or our family were there today.  So, we were out of there fairly quickly following the service!

We stopped at Wal-Mart for a few groceries before going home to make breakfast.  I spent the next several hours getting set-up and prepping food our couples card club at our house.  All went well.  I even had some extra time to do some crafting.  We also got to watch some football.

The 8 of us met at Stoner's Grille for a light dinner at 4:30.  Most of us enjoyed our food but we had a good time just chatting!  We were back to our house by 6:15 and started playing cards.  We play Haus and switch partners after every four hands, allowing us to play with everyone throughout the evening!  Snacking is good too!

Everyone left by 9:15 so Ken and I watched the Eagles football game.  What a great one! It was a fun day!

Today, Monday, was another windy one but at least it was a bit warmer.  After having breakfast, Ken and I went to pick up Wilbur.  On the way there, a light game on in the CRV indicating that one of our tires had lost some air.  We have been having that trouble off and on lately so Ken knew he had to take it to the place where we had gotten the new tires not too long ago to have it checked.  We had to have that one patched at the tire place within the last year, but it was supposed to do the "trick"!  Obviously something was not quite right.  

Ken and I did our delivery in Lititz for Meals on Wheels and after we ate lunch, Ken went to have the tire checked.  They replaced the patch and said it is good to go!  Yeah!  Then he did a few more errands returning around 3.

I had a nice conversation with Diane Weaver, a friend who is also dealing with scoliosis and has the Scoliosis Activity Suit.  We like to chat occasionally to "compare notes"!  I am still having hip and leg pain and it is making my limp so exaggerated!  I sincerely hope it soon improves.  I am thinking that the warmer weather in Florida may be a help!  I guess we will have to wait and see! I also spent a lot of time getting things together that I want to take to Florida and it seems to be "way too much".  Between clothing, food and all my craft stuff it really "adds up"!  We will have to wait until the last minute to load some of the things because of the cold weather!

Ken grilled for dinner and we made salads.  After cleaning up we played a game of Hand and Foot which Ken won in the very last round!  Then he did some reading while I watched The Voice and worked on this blog.  To bed around 10!

Saturday - A Rainy Day!

Ken and I were on the road by 7:45 to go to Central York High School to attend Bria and Cali's 3 team swim meet!  We stopped at Sheetz for coffee and a pumpkin spice latte.  We arrived at the school at 8:30 and Cali was in the 1st heat which started at 8:45.  She swam 1 lap of freestyle and took 1st place in 8 and under girls.  Bria was in the 3rd event which was 2 laps of the pool for girls 9 and 10 and she placed 4th!  There were 3 teams participating, so there was quite a bit of competition!

It started really raining around 10 and continued for most of the afternoon, so it was good to be indoors.  Each of the girls competed in 4 events and Cali won 1st in 3 of her swims and her relay team took 2nd.  She actually set a team record for girls 8 and under breast stroke.  She did an amazing job!

Bria had swam one event last evening which was 20 laps of freestyle and she is only 10!  I can't imagine.  It was the 1st time she swam that many laps in competition and she did extremely well.  Today she had some great swims also and 1 race was 4 laps, another 8 laps, and also 2 laps in a relay race.  They both work really hard and just love it!  I just can't imagine swimming that many laps at one time!

The meet ended around 1:30 and Ken and I came straight home.  It was a miserable drive with heavy rain and lousy visibility!  We had planned to stop at Costco, but it was just too "ugly"!

We ate a light lunch and then I made a few sea glass pictures while Ken read.  Today was another bad leg day for me, as I had trouble putting my weight on my leg and had a tough time straightening!  I am getting a little tired of this and hoping tomorrow will be better!

After dinner, I worked on this blog and downloaded some pictures while watching College Football.  Ken "caught up" on his e-mails and Facebook!

Thursday, Cindy's Birthday and Friday, John's!

Ken met Gary in Ephrata for breakfast and I got ready for the day's activities!  I did some clean-up and organization and then at 11 we left for a visit to Cindy and John's.  Although it is her birthday, they invited us for lunch on our way to visit Mom and Dad.  I always introduce Cindy as my older sister, but I must admit it isn't true.  She is actually 4 years younger than me!  She always says she is younger but just big for her age!!!!  We had a good time together and her chicken casserole and fresh fruit crisp were delicious!

Ken and I spent the afternoon at Masonic Homes playing 4 games of Pinochle with Mom and Dad and the men won 3 of them.  This seems to be the outcome every Thursday!  Mom and I will have to start practicing!

We were back home by 5:15 and had a light supper (still stuffed from Cindy's great lunch) and then I worked on our blog while watching Grey's Anatomy and then the Steeler's game!  I stayed up way too long, only going to bed at 11:15.  Ken was smart and retired at 10.

We were both up at 5:30 on Friday morning, Ken to read and I got ready to meet my Curvette ladies at 6:30 for breakfast in Ephrata.  Only 5 of us were there, but we had a fun time.  I was back home by 8:20 and Ken left to spend the morning volunteering at the Mennonite Resource Center.  He normally works only on Wednesdays, but they were short of help for today and asked if he would be willing to work.  He really enjoys his work there and was very happy to go.

I spent the morning cleaning and scouring the apartment.  Ken and I had lunch together when he got back home and then I did some wash and crafting.  It was a very cold, windy day, so we decided it was not a good day for walking.  Also, for some reason, my leg was a "problem" today and I had trouble walking, so I don't think I could have gone for a walk even if the weather was favorable!  Not sure what is going on, but it certainly causes me pain, but fortunately only when I walk.  Hopefully it will get better quickly!

Ken grilled burgers for dinner and I made us salads.  We left at 6:00 to go to 10,000 Villages in Ephrata to hear a 3 piece musical group with 2 of the musicians being guys that graduated in our high school class and played football with Ken.  They had played at Ken's retirement party 3 1/2 years ago, so we really enjoy hearing them sing and play.  We had planned to meet Fred and Doloris there and were pleasantly surprised when Sam and Kathy were there too.    The 6 of us always have a good time together!

The 6 of us (Ken is taking the picture) had such a good time
together and The Chestnuts are very entertaining!

The music ended at 8:30 and Ken and I went to Fred and Doloris' house and played 2 games of Haus.  The women won both of them by a large margin!  There were a lot of good laughs during the evening!

We only got home at 11:15 and we went right to bed.  I had only slept about 5 1/2 hours last night, so I was extremely tired and ready for a good night's sleep!

Great Tuesday and Wednesday!

Ken left at 7:45 on Tuesday morning to go to the storage place where we have Wilbur to talk to them about keeping his space over the winter.  It is hard to find a good, safe place to store Wilbur when we are around and we are thrilled with the location we currently have.  We decided to pay for the months we are gone and the owner said if anyone wanted to use the space during that time she would credit our account - how nice!

Then Ken went to Evergreen Diner to enjoy a wonderful breakfast with his siblings.  They spent about 2 hours together just catching up on what is happening with everyone's families.  They do not get together very often, so it is always a special time when they have the opportunity!

As soon as Ken got back home, I left for the Hempfield Rec Center to play pickleball from 11 to 1:45.  I met Cindy and John there and it was so much fun.  There were about 16 players and 2 courts, so we took turns playing, switching partners after every game.  I hadn't played for close to 2 months, so it took a little time to get back into the "swing"!

On the way home I stopped at Root's Country Market (only open on Tuesdays) for some fruit and veggies, getting back around 3.  Ken had worked at his desk and took a very long walk.  It wasn't a great day with cooler temperatures and very no sunshine!

We played a whole game of Hand and Foot (Ken won again!) and after dinner, Ken left for Celebrate Recovery.  I planned to work on some sea glass pictures, but I was rather lazy and sat on the sofa watching The Voice and playing Pop Words.  Just didn't feel like being creative!

Today, Wednesday, was another cool, damp day with very little sunshine.  I took Ken to MCC for his volunteer job did a "bunch" of errands ending up at Jamie's at 11 for a haircut!  Wow, she did a great job and I had such a good time chatting with her!  I picked up Ken at noon and then back to Jamie's for Ken's haircut!

We left there and did a few more errands before arriving back home at 3:30.  We dressed warmly and off we went for a walk around town.  Then Ken did some reading while I recorded our expenses, worked on this blog, and watched The Voice.  So many talented singers!  How can you pick a winner?

Monday - A Low Key Day!

After watching the World News, making a cooked breakfast, and reading the paper, Ken decided to spend time in the kitchen making us salads for tonight and tomorrow.  I did some organizing in my craft space.

At 10, I left to go shopping in Lancaster after 1st stopping to visit with Ginny, one of the lady's in our apartment building.  I spent time at Michael's and AC Moore purchasing frames for my sea glass pictures and enjoyed looking around Burlington, Home Goods, and Old Navy.  I had a nice chat with my sister while traveling!

Ken spent the morning working at his desk and then took a 10,000 step walk around town.  It was a damp, cloudy day with temperatures in the 40's.  We spent time going over our schedules for the next week and a half before we leave for Florida.  We both answered e-mails and text messages and then I made a couple sea glass pictures.

After dinner, we played 3 rounds of Hand and Foot and Ken was so far ahead that I declared him the winner!  Then it was time to watch The Voice while working on the blog and downloading photos.

It was a relaxing day!

A Great Family Weekend!

Saturday morning was a relaxing one around the apartment.  We wanted to take a walk, but it was 17 degrees and didn't warm up very quickly.  So, we stayed inside!

After lunch, we left to go to a Memorial Service for Ken's Uncle Wilbur who had died about 2 weeks ago.  We went early to visit with his children before the service because we were going to pick-up up Bria and Cali around 3 and have them overnight so staying for the service was not an option!

What a fun time with Bria and Cali.  After visiting just a short time with Jamie and Dane (they were going to the Hospital Gala for dinner and the evening) and waiting to see Jamie in her beautiful, fancy dress (she looked amazing!), Bria, Cali, Ken and I went bowling.  Ken and I hadn't bowled for years and I wasn't sure how my back would handle it, but it went well and we had a blast.  The girls thought they might want "bumpers" in the gutters, but decided against it.  We were so proud of how they handled the whole experience because they could have gotten a bit frustrated.  Instead, they just laughed a lot and kept trying to do their best!

Bria stayed focused and did well!

Cali had a great time and has such a
wild curve ball just when it gets to the
end of the lane!

What form!!!!!

After bowling, we went to our favorite pizza shop in Lititz, Roma, for dinner and then to Wendy's for dessert - a Frosty!  Back to the apartment to play 2 games of Skip-Bo with Bria and I winning the 1st one and Ken and Cali and 2nd.  They do so well at that game.  

We were all in bed by 9:30 after a wonderful evening with 2 special ladies!

Sunday morning I got up before the rest of the "crew" and got ready for Church.  The girls only made an appearance at 7:30.  I made them pancakes for breakfast and we got everything cleaned up before leaving for church at 8:30.  We met Jamie and Dane there and told them what a delightful time we had with their girls!

After church, Ken and I went back home to cook breakfast and left by 11:45 to drive to Bob and Lanie's for Samantha's soccer game.  It was cool, but not windy and the sun was shining!  Jamie's family joined in the fun too!  Sam's team didn't win, but they played well together!

Samantha stayed focused on the game!

We all went back to Lanie and Bob's for the afternoon and the 4 gals had a great time being together.  The adults watched some of the Steelers game and visited.  Jamie's family left a little before dinner, but Ken and I stayed to enjoy Lanie's homemade chili that was delicious.  Samantha entertained us with a short dance "recital" before leaving at 5:45.  Ken and I stopped at Polly's for a short time and then we went to a Christmas Program at a church here in Lititz by Servant Stage.  We had been to 2 of their shows this summer and found them extremely entertaining and the shows so well done.  They are free to the "underresourced" and held in places where disabled folks can easily attend.  It is a group of Christian singers where the audience only pays by donation.  What a mission!  We really enjoyed the "Old Time Radio Christmas Show"!

It certainly was a fun weekend and so special when you can spend so much time with family!

Thursday and Friday - Cold Days in Lancaster County!

Thursday morning, Ken left by 7:30 to have breakfast with his friend Gary.  I decided it was a good morning to bake some of those delicious oat bran muffins with the recipe my good friend Noela had given me.  Ken and I both enjoy them and now even my mother is hooked on them!  By the time I had eaten breakfast and cleaned up the kitchen, Ken was back home after running some addition errands!

Ken did some reading and I worked at my desk on some craft projects.  After lunch, we drove to Masonic Village to play Pinochle with mom and dad.  It was a fun afternoon, but the men won 3 of the 5 games.  Not sure what is going on!!!!!

We left there at 4:30 and came back home for a quick dinner and then at 6:00 we were on our way to the Quentin area to visit with Alton and Jane Good, members of our Life Group.  Alton had a stroke about 2 months ago and both he and Jane have been on a bit of a "roller coaster ride"!  He is home and goes to 3 hours of therapy 3 times per week.  He has made lots of headway and they are both optimistic about his outcome.  He is a fighter and working very hard to keep improving.  It was so good to see them and we had a very nice time chatting.  It is only recently that he was ready to have visitors, so we were so happy to spend time with them.

We were back home around 8 (we didn't want to overstay our time with Alton) and I watched the 300th episode of Grey's Anatomy.  Then we watched some of the football game before heading to bed around 10:15.

Today, Friday, Ken was up very early and did a lot of reading.  I had a rather restless night and was out of bed in time to watch the world news!  I had to be at the surgical center at 12:30 for my procedure at 1:30, and since I couldn't eat of drink I did some craft projects to occupy my time.  It is so hard to keep my anxieties under control even though I know the procedure is painless and the outcome should be just fine according to Dr. Del Terzo!  But somehow, it is hard to just relax!

Ken worked at his desk and then checked out a storage area in Manheim for possible storage of Wilbur for next year.  He found out they are no longer storing motorhomes!

We left at 12:00 for the Physicians Surgical Center for my 1:30 procedure.  My nurse for pre-op was a daughter of the dentist I used to work for BK (before kids) and Ken and I had stayed at their house to baby-sit while their parents went on a 10 day vacation.  It was nice to reminisce while waiting.  Unfortunately Dr. Del Terzo was behind schedule and I didn't "walk" into the OR until 2:45 - waiting is the hard part!  All went extremely well and by 3:45 I left the recovery room.  Ken had fasted with me today (what a guy!), so they gave him some cookies and ginger ale too!  We were out of there by 4:15 and on our way to the Knight and Day Diner for a meal and home by 5:45.  I talked to my friend, Polly, and she was going to e-mail a message to the Curvettes with an update from today's procedure.  Thanks, Polly!

My report was excellent.  Dr. Del Terzo talked to me and he is not sending the tiny spot to cytology.  He said there is absolutely no need for a biopsy - all is well.  He also suggested that if I have any more little spots he suggests that we remove them while he does the cystoscopy.  Having the surgery is so involved for the tiny spots he is removing.  I had planned to ask him if that was a possibility, so I am thrilled with his suggestion!  I will see him for a cysto next November.  We watched the news and I talked with Noela (they are doing well in the southwest), sent some e-mails and messages on my phone, and  played some games on the I-Pad.  Then Ken beat me at another game of Hand and Foot. By 8:45 we were in bed to read.  Anesthesia does make me tired and last night was a bit of a restless night, so I was ready to call it a day!


Just an FYI - it is WINTER here in Lanc. County today.  It was in the 30's with 25 mph winds, making it feel like it was in the teens!  What is that about?  Supposed to get to 17 degrees overnight.  No wonder we got to Florida.  This gal is not a fan (to put it mildly) of this weather!  I need warm and plenty of sunshine!

I am Celebrating Life and feeling so Blessed!

Tuesday and Wednesday - Getting Cold in PA!

Tuesday morning Ken had breakfast with one of his friends from CR.  I spent that time keeping busy around the house and getting ready for the day.

At 10:15 we left to deliver food to folks here in Lititz for Meal on Wheels.  Ken and I enjoy doing that and the people are so appreciative!  It takes about 1 hour to deliver the meals and from there we went to Polly's to take here to lunch for her Birthday.  We decided to stay rather local because of the predicted rain starting early afternoon and it was rather chilly.  

We debated where to go and at Polly's suggestion we went to Stoner's Grill in Lancaster.  Ken and I had talked about trying it, but we didn't know anyone who had gone there.  It turned out to be a terrific choice.  The atmosphere is great and the food was positively delicious.  Ken and I had soup and shared the pulled pork quesidillea and everything was amazing.  We had a lot of fun sharing and spending time with Polly!

We were back home by 2:30 and Ken did some reading while I worked at my desk on my sea glass pictures.  We were feeling "stuffed" from lunch so we had a very light dinner and by 6:30 we were at church for a special evening at Celebrate Recovery!  

A biker "dude" by the name of Jeff Stultz was there to share his testimony of his journey to finding Christ!  He is the National Director of Broken Chains, the motorcycle affiliate of Celebrate Recovery!  His incredible message of a changed life was amazing.  He says God has turned his mess into a message for Christ.  I also got to meet most of the gentlemen that Ken did his Step Study with.  

This is Jeff's daily mode of transportation!

We were back home by 9:30 and went right to bed.

Today, Wednesday, was a very cool day with temperatures only in 40's.  Quite a change!  Looks like we are in for some cold weather!

Ken was up by 5:30 and when I arose, I made him a flax pancake for breakfast.  He left at 8 to go to MCC for his volunteer job.  I did a load of wash, cleaned up, and then spent most of the morning making sea glass pictures.  It was a fun time for me.

We ate lunch when Ken returned and then he read while I did some additional crafts at my desk.  Around 3 we decided to go for a walk.  It was chilly, but we were dressed appropriately.  For some reason, my leg and hip gave me some trouble, so it was not a very comfortable walk for me, but okay!

At 4:15 we drove to Jamie's house to spend time with Bria and Cali while Dane and Jamie went to parent/teacher conferences!  Cali enjoyed reading to us 

The "teacher" was reading to us
and showing us the pictures!

and then I spent time with Bria coloring in those adult coloring books.  It gave us time to just chat while we were creative!

Dane had a meeting and was not home for dinner.  Jamie invited Ken and I to have dinner with her and the girls.  After a delicious meal and a time of sharing, we helped her with the dishes and clean-up and were home by 8.  I chatted with Lanie and we watched the Country Music Awards while I worked on this blog.

It was bedtime around 10!

Sunday and Monday - Fun Days!

Ken and I were up a bit early due to the time change and got ready to go to church.  We left at 8:30 and enjoyed the service, visiting with our Life Group and spending time with our daughter and her family!  We had a fun time with Bria and Cali.

Ken and I left there at 10:45 and went to Old Hickory Grill for breakfast.  We had to wait about 15 minutes as they were so full.  No wonder - they offer such a huge menu for breakfast and their food is so good.

From there we went to Costco to pick-up a large birthday cake for mother and their delicious pumpkin pie to serve at my ladies card club tomorrow at our house.  On the way to Masonic Homes we got drinks for Ken and I and my parents arriving there around 1:00.  

In the elevator on the way to the lounge on mom's floor, there was a resident who came aboard and when he saw the cake he pulled out his harmonica and played Happy Birthday.  So I asked him if he would please come to the lounge in about 1/2 an hour and play for my mother and he agreed!

Cindy and John had arrived before us and when we went to the lounge, the gentleman was waiting for us to play his harmonica.  So we all sang while he played and then asked him to please play another song.  So he did a great job playing Swanee River.  What a treat!

The 6 of us spent the afternoon playing 2 games of Up the River and it was even - the men and women each won one!  We had a very good time and took a break between games to enjoy cake and ice cream, inviting anyone that was nearby to have a piece of cake.  It was a special day for all of us as our Mother turned 88 today!  What a milestone!

I hope I look this good at 88!

Mother and Daughters!

Ken and I were home by 5:30 and I decided to do a local of wash.  I also made a few pair of earrings.  Ken read and we watched the news and 60 Minutes.  It was a wonderful day!

This morning, Monday, I met the Curvette gals at Old Hickory Grille  (again!) for breakfast and to celebrate Polly and Deb's birthdays.  There were 7 of us and we had a fun time.  We laughed so hard at the crazy birthday cards that we had brought for the birthday gals.  I was back home by 8:45 and Ken had done a wonderful job of doing some clean-up and organizing for my ladies card club that started at 11:30.

Marty arrived early (she forgot to change her LR clock) and it was so nice for Ken and I to have time to visit with her.  Years ago she and her family were our neighbors even though we lived about 1/2 mile apart out in the countryside.  By 11:30 all 7 ladies had arrived, including my sister, Cindy, who was a sub for one of the regulars!  We always have a fun time sharing and playing pinochle!

The ladies asked to see my seaglass pictures and by the time they left I had sold 13 - wow!  I was so grateful!  Ken arrived back home when the ladies were leaving - he timed that just right.  He had spent time with our daughter, Jamie, and had lunch with Kevin!

During card club, I had gotten a call from the Surgical Center to schedule my surgery and they can do it already this Friday in the afternoon - hallelujah!  So, I headed right to the lab after they all left to get my blood work and EKG so they would have the results in time for my surgery!  My good husband had done most of the clean-up till I returned.

I reorganized my finished sea glass pictures, played one game on the I-Pad and then we had dinner and cleaned up.  We played 2 rounds of Hand and Foot (Ken is winning) and then I watched The Voice and Ken did some reading.  There are some really talented singers on that show!  I also filled out a loooooong medical questionnaire for my medical records at the hospital.  It must have taken at least a 1/2 hour!  In bed by 10!