Thursday morning was the day they unload the truck and set-up for the Food Pantry at Edgewater Church. Ken knew they were short of help, so he decided to volunteer. Ken felt so welcomed when he got there. Everyone was so happy to see him and he was thrilled to help. They were also appreciative of the items donated to their thrift shop.
When he returned we spent a lot of the afternoon furniture shopping for the LR. It is extremely difficult to find a sofa that is really comfortable for both of us. No success today. When we got back to the condo, Ken rested and I set out to find items for the spare BR and both baths. So difficult when you know what you would like, but just can't find it!
After eating more of our Chipotle meal, we played some Pinochle and then went to bed fairly early - so tired!
Friday we both went to the Food Pantry to help set-up and then take the clients through to select their food items. Fortunately we had a lot of help, so I left after about 1 1/2 hours to do some additional shopping. I was back to pick-up Ken at 12:45. We drove to Room to Go to check out their furniture, but was not too pleased with the quality or styles. We did stop at Habitat for Humanity on the way back and found 2 wicker headboards for the guest BR for $5.00 each and all they need is some spray painting - what a bargain!
At 5:00, we met Lloyd, Deb, Rick, Joyce, Frank and Barb at Farlow's on the Water for dinner, one of our favorite places here in Florida. What a great evening of fellowship and delicious food. Ken and I were back "home" by 8:00, chatted for awhile, and then it was off to bed!
Just a little side note - It has been in the low to mid 90's everyday since we arrived and rather humid, but only about 2 brief showers. Ken has been taking walks in the morning, but he returns rather "wet"!
Friday, June 7, 2019
Wednesday, June 5, 2019
Tuesday and Wednesday - Homeownership!
Tuesday we arrived at Rick and Joyce's around 2:00 and we were so excited to see each other. We spent the afternoon chatting and then started a game of Pinochle, stopping to eat the delicious ham, bean and potato dinner that Joyce had prepared. The women were the winners.
Wednesday morning, the 4 of us went to breakfast at Peaches and by 9:00 Ken and I were on our way for our 10:00 walk through at the condo. We were a bit anxious because we had only toured it about 20 minutes the last night we were in Florida in April. At that time we had no thought of purchasing a property in Florida. So, we were a bit "anxious" to see it again and hopeful that we would be happy with our purchase. No problem - we really loved it as soon as we walked in.
Back to the Venice area for our settlement which took about 15 minutes! WE ARE HOMEOWNERS AGAIN - WOW! We have not owned a "stick and brick" property for almost 6 years, just Wilbur, our home on wheels! This is exciting.
We stopped at Chipotle to get their bowl as a take-out and went back to the Condo to eat it. We are last of the big spenders and celebrators! I started removing everything from the kitchen cabinets to determine what I wanted to keep and what I wanted to replace with my things from Wilbur. The condo came completely furnished - dishes, silverware, pots and pans, towels, etc. which was nice, but I preferred most of my own things.
Rick, Joyce, Lloyd and Deb arrived around 2:30 and the men unloaded Lloyd's truck and our car while the ladies helped me wash the cabinets inside and out and then put back what I chose to keep. We also boxed the items I wanted to take to the Thrift Shop at our church. The men unloaded the dresser that Rick and Joyce graciously gave us for our guest BR. They all left at 5 and we so appreciated all their help. What great friends!
Ken and I were both exhausted but I have a problem when there are unpacked boxes "sitting around". By 9:30 I had almost everything unpacked and in what I think is it's proper place. We were in bed by 10 and fell right to sleep, exhausted but excited!
Wednesday morning, the 4 of us went to breakfast at Peaches and by 9:00 Ken and I were on our way for our 10:00 walk through at the condo. We were a bit anxious because we had only toured it about 20 minutes the last night we were in Florida in April. At that time we had no thought of purchasing a property in Florida. So, we were a bit "anxious" to see it again and hopeful that we would be happy with our purchase. No problem - we really loved it as soon as we walked in.
Back to the Venice area for our settlement which took about 15 minutes! WE ARE HOMEOWNERS AGAIN - WOW! We have not owned a "stick and brick" property for almost 6 years, just Wilbur, our home on wheels! This is exciting.
We stopped at Chipotle to get their bowl as a take-out and went back to the Condo to eat it. We are last of the big spenders and celebrators! I started removing everything from the kitchen cabinets to determine what I wanted to keep and what I wanted to replace with my things from Wilbur. The condo came completely furnished - dishes, silverware, pots and pans, towels, etc. which was nice, but I preferred most of my own things.
Rick, Joyce, Lloyd and Deb arrived around 2:30 and the men unloaded Lloyd's truck and our car while the ladies helped me wash the cabinets inside and out and then put back what I chose to keep. We also boxed the items I wanted to take to the Thrift Shop at our church. The men unloaded the dresser that Rick and Joyce graciously gave us for our guest BR. They all left at 5 and we so appreciated all their help. What great friends!
Ken and I were both exhausted but I have a problem when there are unpacked boxes "sitting around". By 9:30 I had almost everything unpacked and in what I think is it's proper place. We were in bed by 10 and fell right to sleep, exhausted but excited!
Monday, June 3, 2019
Monday - Beautiful Travel Day!
Ken and I were up and getting ready to head to Florida by 2:45. We finished loading a few last minute items and by 3:45 we were on our way. It was a beautiful morning with temperatures in the upper 50's.
We made our traditional 1st stop at Rutter's in York for hot drinks and then were quickly back on our way. We both enjoy getting up early and driving for about 2 hours until the sun starts rising. When not driving Wilbur, we usually stop at Denny's on the south side of Richmond for breakfast. To our amazement and disappointment, it was closed and for sale - what is that about???? So we went about another 20 miles and found another Denny's for the pick your slam breakfast that we always share!
During the drive I talked to Deb who is already in Florida and with Melissa who lives at The Villages and she and Chuck are planning to visit us in Port Charlotte some time next week. We look forward to seeing them. Friday night Deb made reservations at Farlows on the Water for her and Lloyd, Rick and Joyce, Frank and Barb, and Ken and I. That will be a special evening with wonderful friends and at one of our favorite places to eat when in the Port Charlotte area.
Around 2 we stopped at Wendy's for a bowl of chili and a small Frosty - both really "hit the spot"! We did stop at some Rest areas and Ken actually had me drive about 2 1/2 hours, that was all! It was a perfect weather day for driving, but it was 98 degrees when we stopped at a Best Western Hotel for the night within 38 miles of the Georgia/Florida border! It was a long day of driving, 13 hours, but the traffic moved well. We decided that we really didn't feel like going out for dinner, so we ate some cheese, peanuts, and fruit we had brought with us. We needed a relaxing evening!
We watched the Evening News, Jeopardy and did some reading. We didn't get a lot of sleep last night, so we turned out the lights early. Settlement day on our condo is fast approaching and I am getting so excited!
We made our traditional 1st stop at Rutter's in York for hot drinks and then were quickly back on our way. We both enjoy getting up early and driving for about 2 hours until the sun starts rising. When not driving Wilbur, we usually stop at Denny's on the south side of Richmond for breakfast. To our amazement and disappointment, it was closed and for sale - what is that about???? So we went about another 20 miles and found another Denny's for the pick your slam breakfast that we always share!
During the drive I talked to Deb who is already in Florida and with Melissa who lives at The Villages and she and Chuck are planning to visit us in Port Charlotte some time next week. We look forward to seeing them. Friday night Deb made reservations at Farlows on the Water for her and Lloyd, Rick and Joyce, Frank and Barb, and Ken and I. That will be a special evening with wonderful friends and at one of our favorite places to eat when in the Port Charlotte area.
Around 2 we stopped at Wendy's for a bowl of chili and a small Frosty - both really "hit the spot"! We did stop at some Rest areas and Ken actually had me drive about 2 1/2 hours, that was all! It was a perfect weather day for driving, but it was 98 degrees when we stopped at a Best Western Hotel for the night within 38 miles of the Georgia/Florida border! It was a long day of driving, 13 hours, but the traffic moved well. We decided that we really didn't feel like going out for dinner, so we ate some cheese, peanuts, and fruit we had brought with us. We needed a relaxing evening!
We watched the Evening News, Jeopardy and did some reading. We didn't get a lot of sleep last night, so we turned out the lights early. Settlement day on our condo is fast approaching and I am getting so excited!
Sunday, June 2, 2019
Saturday and Sunday - Very Nice Days Until Sunday Evening!
Saturday was a rather uneventful day for Ken and I. After breakfast, he decided to take a long walk but I chose not to join him. (I knew we were walking downtown later!). I spent that time getting ready and packing a few more items - not sure the things will fit in the CRV.
Around 11:30, we decided to walk downtown to tour the Lititz Museum (Mueller House) to enjoy the 1st ever Lititz Historical Society History Day! What an amazing historic day presentation! They had about 20 artesians there demonstrating the arts and crafts of early days - lace making, blacksmithing, tinware, herbs basket weaving, cloth weaving, soap making, and everyone was dressed in garb of the day. Many of them were also explaining their craft. There was also a Conestoga Wagon on display and the owner told you its history which was very interesting. All in all, it was a very worthwhile venture and so informative!
We were back home around 1:30 and it was time for a light lunch. Ken read and rested and I spent the rest of the afternoon making cards while doing a load of wash. We made salads for dinner and did some more preparation for our trip to Florida early Monday morning. We did finish our game of Hand and Foot and I was victorious.
We were in bed by 10 and getting so excited for heading to Florida!
Today, Sunday, I got a phone call from Noela before we left for church. They had just returned from about a 10 day camping trip visiting family in Canada. She also wanted to wish us safe travels to Florida. It was nice to talk to her! Ken and I went to LCBC for the 9 AM service and it was a good one with great music and a very interesting sermon. We spent time afterwards talking with Jamie, Dane, and the girls and headed home by 11:00. I did my devotions and then we left to meet Dan and Jackie at Scooters for lunch. We were able to sit in their outside porch area and it was a perfect day to be outside. After a delicious lunch, we went back to our house to spend the afternoon playing 2 games of Hand and Foot. The men won the 1st game by a huge margin, but we were the winners of the 2nd game! What a fun time!
They left around 6 and Ken and I did some organizing around the apartment before he loaded some last minute items in the CRV. We will have more loading to do in the morning of some food, electronics, and toiletries. We hope to be on the road by around 4 AM, but knowing Ken, it will probably be closer to 3! I had a nice chat with Pat in Maine whose husband, Burt, had hip replacement a couple of weeks ago. He is improving daily! We watched some TV and by 9 we were in bed! Florida, here we come!!!!
Around 11:30, we decided to walk downtown to tour the Lititz Museum (Mueller House) to enjoy the 1st ever Lititz Historical Society History Day! What an amazing historic day presentation! They had about 20 artesians there demonstrating the arts and crafts of early days - lace making, blacksmithing, tinware, herbs basket weaving, cloth weaving, soap making, and everyone was dressed in garb of the day. Many of them were also explaining their craft. There was also a Conestoga Wagon on display and the owner told you its history which was very interesting. All in all, it was a very worthwhile venture and so informative!
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| A perfect day for many of the crafters to be outdoors explaining what they were doing! |
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| This gentleman did a great job giving information about Conestoga Wagons, many of which were made in our area..... |
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| ...and this gentleman who owns many Conestoga Wagons had more information to share! |
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| We learned a lot about the old time Taverns from this storyteller! |
We were in bed by 10 and getting so excited for heading to Florida!
Today, Sunday, I got a phone call from Noela before we left for church. They had just returned from about a 10 day camping trip visiting family in Canada. She also wanted to wish us safe travels to Florida. It was nice to talk to her! Ken and I went to LCBC for the 9 AM service and it was a good one with great music and a very interesting sermon. We spent time afterwards talking with Jamie, Dane, and the girls and headed home by 11:00. I did my devotions and then we left to meet Dan and Jackie at Scooters for lunch. We were able to sit in their outside porch area and it was a perfect day to be outside. After a delicious lunch, we went back to our house to spend the afternoon playing 2 games of Hand and Foot. The men won the 1st game by a huge margin, but we were the winners of the 2nd game! What a fun time!
They left around 6 and Ken and I did some organizing around the apartment before he loaded some last minute items in the CRV. We will have more loading to do in the morning of some food, electronics, and toiletries. We hope to be on the road by around 4 AM, but knowing Ken, it will probably be closer to 3! I had a nice chat with Pat in Maine whose husband, Burt, had hip replacement a couple of weeks ago. He is improving daily! We watched some TV and by 9 we were in bed! Florida, here we come!!!!
Saturday, June 1, 2019
Friday - Beautiful Warm, Sunny Day with a Breeze!
After rather restless night's sleep, we were both up by 5:30 and by 6:30 I was on my way to have breakfast with the Curvette ladies in Ephrata. We had a fun time celebrating Shirley's birthday. Don't tell anyone, but she was 83 today and we all decided we want to be Shirley when we are that age! She still works out 3 days a week at Planet Fitness and walks about 10,000 steps daily - wow!
After breakfast, I meet Ken at the storage area where we keep Wilbur and we loaded the car with all the "stuff" that was in Wilbur's basement to take to Florida. We are so thankful that Deb and Lloyd took about 2/3's of our things, because our car will be filled to capacity when we leave on Monday! Ken went to the bank and they wired the money to Florida (that is the only method you can use to get the money to the title company - Florida law!). When he returned, we spent time packing more things and loaded them in the CRV. I know we probably won't be able to find a place for everything at the condo, for it is already furnished including the kitchen. But, a lot of the items I had in Wilbur will replace the things that are there like dishes, cups, pots and pans, etc. Whatever we don't need we will take to the Thrift Shop at Edgewater Church that we attend in Florida.
Ken took a long walk but because I am still having problems with my back and leg, I decided to spend that time making more cards that are ordered from friends. After lunch, I worked on this blog and Ken did some reading. I also enjoyed playing some games on my tablet.
We left at 4:15 to go Millersville to meet Cindy and John at Jacks for supper and then went to see Servant Stage perform My Fair Lady at Millersville University. What a fantastic show! Their small orchestra was wonderful and the actors did such a great job! Our school had presented My Fair Lady when we were sophomores so I could have sung along with all the well known songs. We were back home by 10:45 (it was a 3 hour show) and we went right to bed!
After breakfast, I meet Ken at the storage area where we keep Wilbur and we loaded the car with all the "stuff" that was in Wilbur's basement to take to Florida. We are so thankful that Deb and Lloyd took about 2/3's of our things, because our car will be filled to capacity when we leave on Monday! Ken went to the bank and they wired the money to Florida (that is the only method you can use to get the money to the title company - Florida law!). When he returned, we spent time packing more things and loaded them in the CRV. I know we probably won't be able to find a place for everything at the condo, for it is already furnished including the kitchen. But, a lot of the items I had in Wilbur will replace the things that are there like dishes, cups, pots and pans, etc. Whatever we don't need we will take to the Thrift Shop at Edgewater Church that we attend in Florida.
Ken took a long walk but because I am still having problems with my back and leg, I decided to spend that time making more cards that are ordered from friends. After lunch, I worked on this blog and Ken did some reading. I also enjoyed playing some games on my tablet.
We left at 4:15 to go Millersville to meet Cindy and John at Jacks for supper and then went to see Servant Stage perform My Fair Lady at Millersville University. What a fantastic show! Their small orchestra was wonderful and the actors did such a great job! Our school had presented My Fair Lady when we were sophomores so I could have sung along with all the well known songs. We were back home by 10:45 (it was a 3 hour show) and we went right to bed!
Thursday, May 30, 2019
Wednesday and Thursday - Hot and Humid with More Storms!
Before breakfast, Ken left to take the car to a local garage for inspection. He walked back home while I got ready and prepped breakfast. We left at 10 to go to Reamstown for the viewing and funeral of Marcia's father. Marcia is a member of our couples card club and Ken and I also knew her father because he had sold his home through us during our Real Estate days! It was a great service and we were able to visit with many friends. They also had a luncheon at the church which we attended and spent time with Sam and Kathy, friends who we used to camp with, having shared some wonderful adventures!
On our way back home we stopped and picked up Ken's car returning around 2:30. I spent a lot of the afternoon cardmaking while Ken rested. He also decided to take another short walk before dinner, but I decided to pass! After such a nice luncheon, we didn't have much for dinner. We played 2 rounds of Hand and Foot and I am leading by a large margin!
Thursday was another warm day with some thunderstorms predicted. Fortunately, we never got the rain or severe weather! Ken left early to have breakfast with Gary and I spent the morning cleaning, my least favorite job. After his breakfast, Ken had gone to Jamie's for a haircut and then to the bank to verify that we could get money for the condo in Florida wired on Friday - no problem!
After lunch, Ken and I left to spend the afternoon playing pinochle with Mom and Dad. It was a fun afternoon and the women finally won 2 of the 4 games. The men did have the lead in the 5th one, but we didn't get to finish it. We were back home around 5:00 and made salads for dinner and then Ken grilled chicken and salmon. After watching the news and James on Jeopardy, we finished our game of Hand and Foot and Ken made a great comeback in the 3rd round, but I was the winner of the 4th. We watched America Ninja Warrior and I crocheted. I also had to quickly make a birthday card for Shirley, one of my Curvette friends, who has a birthday tomorrow that we will celebrate at breakfast!
On our way back home we stopped and picked up Ken's car returning around 2:30. I spent a lot of the afternoon cardmaking while Ken rested. He also decided to take another short walk before dinner, but I decided to pass! After such a nice luncheon, we didn't have much for dinner. We played 2 rounds of Hand and Foot and I am leading by a large margin!
Thursday was another warm day with some thunderstorms predicted. Fortunately, we never got the rain or severe weather! Ken left early to have breakfast with Gary and I spent the morning cleaning, my least favorite job. After his breakfast, Ken had gone to Jamie's for a haircut and then to the bank to verify that we could get money for the condo in Florida wired on Friday - no problem!
After lunch, Ken and I left to spend the afternoon playing pinochle with Mom and Dad. It was a fun afternoon and the women finally won 2 of the 4 games. The men did have the lead in the 5th one, but we didn't get to finish it. We were back home around 5:00 and made salads for dinner and then Ken grilled chicken and salmon. After watching the news and James on Jeopardy, we finished our game of Hand and Foot and Ken made a great comeback in the 3rd round, but I was the winner of the 4th. We watched America Ninja Warrior and I crocheted. I also had to quickly make a birthday card for Shirley, one of my Curvette friends, who has a birthday tomorrow that we will celebrate at breakfast!
Tuesday, May 28, 2019
Tuesday - Hot and Humid with Off and On Sunshine!
Ken was up before me, as usual, and did his reading and messaging. After doing my exercises and eating breakfast, Ken headed to Ephrata to check on Wilbur and talk to Connie, the lady that rents us the storage area. While he was gone, I went to Root's Market to buy fruits and veggies. Upon my return, I decided to make a batch of oat bran muffins (my mother left me know she ate her last one yesterday!)
I had a nice chat with my sister while cleaning up the kitchen from baking the muffins. I also completed 2 loads of wash. Ken went for a long walk during that time. For some reason my hip was giving me a "fit" today (felt like it was out of joint) but I decided to go for a short walk with Ken to see if it would "loosen up"! No, it did not, so the walk was not a very comfortable one!
I did my devotions and then had just a little bit of time to work on some cardmaking. I also downloaded photos and worked on this blog. After a light dinner the weather forecast was calling for severe storms and even some tornado warnings in our area, so we waited about 15 minutes before leaving for Ken to go to CR and me to meet my sister at Masonic Village to help our mother go through her closet. We did make a phone call to our daughter, Lanie, because the track of the tornado was headed to Morgantown, where her family lives. We couldn't get through to her, but we did leave a message that they might want to seek shelter in their large bathroom. It was a good thing we decided to wait to leave for Masonic Village, because the route we take had some large downed trees from the storm that passed through - it was amazing!
Mom had gone through a lot of her closet (with help from one of her friends) before we got there, so it was not a very involved job. We had a good time and she really appreciated our help. I picked up Ken at 9 and when got home we watched some of America's Got Talent. Wasn't the last young men that is autistic amazing? Not surprising that so many folks were brought to tears!
Lanie did check in with us to let us know that they did spend time in their bathroom, but their condo building had no damage. Then she told us to go onto Facebook to see what did happen to some of the buildings in their community that were only a street away - what damage those buildings received as well as the pool area. Lanie said when they realized they were fine they started noticing lots of flashing lights in their neighborhood, so they went outside to see what was going on! They could not believe how much damage had happened to 2 or 3 of the buildings - windows out, the back of some of the condos gone, as well as extensive roof damage.
I had a nice chat with my sister while cleaning up the kitchen from baking the muffins. I also completed 2 loads of wash. Ken went for a long walk during that time. For some reason my hip was giving me a "fit" today (felt like it was out of joint) but I decided to go for a short walk with Ken to see if it would "loosen up"! No, it did not, so the walk was not a very comfortable one!
I did my devotions and then had just a little bit of time to work on some cardmaking. I also downloaded photos and worked on this blog. After a light dinner the weather forecast was calling for severe storms and even some tornado warnings in our area, so we waited about 15 minutes before leaving for Ken to go to CR and me to meet my sister at Masonic Village to help our mother go through her closet. We did make a phone call to our daughter, Lanie, because the track of the tornado was headed to Morgantown, where her family lives. We couldn't get through to her, but we did leave a message that they might want to seek shelter in their large bathroom. It was a good thing we decided to wait to leave for Masonic Village, because the route we take had some large downed trees from the storm that passed through - it was amazing!
Mom had gone through a lot of her closet (with help from one of her friends) before we got there, so it was not a very involved job. We had a good time and she really appreciated our help. I picked up Ken at 9 and when got home we watched some of America's Got Talent. Wasn't the last young men that is autistic amazing? Not surprising that so many folks were brought to tears!
Lanie did check in with us to let us know that they did spend time in their bathroom, but their condo building had no damage. Then she told us to go onto Facebook to see what did happen to some of the buildings in their community that were only a street away - what damage those buildings received as well as the pool area. Lanie said when they realized they were fine they started noticing lots of flashing lights in their neighborhood, so they went outside to see what was going on! They could not believe how much damage had happened to 2 or 3 of the buildings - windows out, the back of some of the condos gone, as well as extensive roof damage.
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