PA - Here We Come!

After a rather restless night, Ken and I were up by 2:30 and got ready for the long drive back to PA.  We finished "prepping" the condo for the time when we are gone and by 3:30 we were leaving our community.  It was still 73 degrees! 

Just thought I would share photos of the condo that we took yesterday after completing so much "decorating stuff" while we were here these 6 weeks.  Ken and I are thrilled with our home away from home.  It definitely reflects us -

We bought new furniture and accessories for the LR!

We love our view from the LR into the lanai!

We even have a water view!!!  Yes, we do have wading birds
and even saw an alligator!

We kept all the DR furniture that was left by the previous
owner.  The table and chairs are the perfect size
for the area!

 

We hung lots of pictures this trip that used to hang in Wilbur!

Kept the beds but added the rattan headboards which I
painted navy!  The dresser was compliments of Rick and Joyce!

Continued the nautical theme in the guest bathroom to go
with the guest bedroom!

The entire BR furniture was here but we added the bedding
(compliments of Cindy) which has shells.  I was able to
find lights with the same shells on the base!

The shell theme continues in the Master Bath!

The drive in Florida went extremely well and within 5 hours we were crossing the border into Georgia.  

Ken had decided he wanted to go home through the Blue Ridge Mountains, so when we crossed into South Carolina we took Route 26 towards Charlotte, NC then Interstate 77 to I-81.    When we got into Virginia, we got a coupon book for hotels and ended up staying at a LaQuinta for only $79.00 and we had a beautiful room.  We had gotten there at 5:30 after driving 14 hours and 850 miles.  We enjoyed eating some of the snack type foods we brought with us (really had no desire to go out to eat) and after watching a little TV, we turned out the lights at 9.

We were up on Thursday morning by 5:30, showered, loaded the car and enjoyed a nice breakfast at the hotel.  Back on the road by 7 and it was a beautiful day to drive.  The sky over the mountains was breathtaking with all the pink and orange coloring!  Enjoy the photos that I took while Ken was driving -

We decided not to stop for lunch and arrived in Lititz at 12:30.  We unloaded the car, unpacked, and Ken rested after all the driving while I continued to organize the things we had brought home.  Around 4:30 we drove to Costco to get some needed groceries and then made salads for dinner.  We watched some TV but by 9 we were in bed.  It has been a long two days!  

Friday we were up early and by 6:15 I was on my way to meet my Curvettes ladies for breakfast to celebrate Becky's birthday.  We had a fun time even though the meal and the service was not the best.

I went to Wal-Mart and then stopped at Jamie's to see her and to discuss some plans for our 50th anniversary party next Sunday.  I had talked to Lanie yesterday about some of the details that still needed to be decided.

Ken had worked at his desk and taken a long walk while I was gone.  At 3:45, Dan and Jackie picked us up and we went to an Italian Club in Reading for dinner before driving into the city for a concert by Casting Crowns.  What a phenomenal music event.  Dan and Jackie had taken us as their guests for our anniversary.  What a special gift!  It was a great evening with special friends!  We only got home at 11:45 and we went right to bed.

A Fun Weekend!

Friday Ken and I were at the Food Pantry by 9 and it was a busy one.  We had less volunteers than some weeks, and with about 78 clients we had no time to rest.  It felt good to serve and I was amazed at some of the stories my folks talked about.  I don't realize how much heartache so many people experience each and everyday.  I am thrilled to be there to lend a listening ear.

About 12 of us went to lunch at a local Italian restaurant and the fellowship proved to be better than the food, but it still was a special time.  Ken and I were back to the condo by 3 and I decided to go to our community pool to do some stretches and exercises.  The water felt so good as it was in the 80's.

We decided to just relax and enjoy an evening "at home", something we have hardly done at all since getting here about 5 weeks ago.  We had some leftovers for dinner and then spent several hours playing 3 rounds of Hand and Foot.  Ken is currently in the lead!

Saturday was another gorgeous, sunny day - a beach day!  Ken took a long walk and then joined me for a shorter one around our community.  2 photos Ken took during his walk near our condo -

We left at 9:15 to meet Cindy and John at Blind Pass for a day in the sunshine.  Around 11:15 Bob and Carol joined us too and the 6 of us had such a nice time together.  The sun was in and out and there was a breeze, so a perfect day to sit on the beach and walk around looking for shark's teeth.  Bob and Carol left around 1:45, but the 4 of us stayed until about 3:30.

The water was so calm and warm today!

Ken walked to the far end of the beach!

We were not the only folks on the beach today even though
it looks that way!

Upon our return, I decided to go to the pool for some additional aquatic exercising and we both enjoyed showering to get rid of all that sand and suntan lotion.  Again, we did't have any plans for the evening so we could watch the Penn State football game.  What a game!

Today, Sunday, we both took a walk and we were at Edgewater Church by 9:15 where we met Cindy and John.  What a fantastic service and the music team was definitely "on fire" with great songs and inspiring messages.  Ken and I had the privilege to be greeters as people left and the next worshipers were arriving for the 11:00 service.  Cindy, John, Ken and I went to Hometown Grill for breakfast and enjoyed the friendly servers and the delicious, so reasonably priced food.

We parted ways around 1 and Ken and I spent time starting to pack up things for our return to PA.  We were able to accomplish a lot, including the packing of my craft "stuff".  Ken read and rested while I played on my tablet watching the Eagles football game.  Not the outcome I had hoped for!

We left at 4:15 to meet 3 other couples from PA (one is visiting for 2 weeks and the other 2 live here in Florida) at Briandi's in Nokomis/Venice, our favorite Italian Restaurant when in this area of Florida.  What a fantastic evening with special friends.  First the delicious food and fellowship followed by the 8 of us going to the North Jetty in Nokomis to watch the sunset.  It was a positively gorgeous one with such an orange glow.  Then we were blessed by seeing the full moon.  

What a special group and take note of the huge plates of food!

A fantastic evening to be on the North Jetty!

Our special friends, Rick and Joyce!

....and other special friends, Frank and Barb!

and more special friends, Gene and Marilyn, who just arrived
yesterday and are staying for about 2 weeks!

The sun is just about ready to set for today!

Barb, Joyce, and Marilyn taking pictures with their phones!

....and another day ends!

I just love this photo Ken took when we were leaving Nokomis!
The clouds almost look like a rainbow!

Ken and I were back home by 8:30 and spent the evening watching the Steelers game with Ken doing some reading and I was working on the blog.  Go Steelers!

Monday Through Thursday in Florida - A Special Week!

Monday we planned to go to the beach with Cindy and John, but the weather forecast was a bit iffy!  So, Cindy and I decided to meet at Beall's Outlet in North Port at 11:15.  Ken had gone to a local coffee shop earlier where one of his CR buddies works.

I got to Beall's at our scheduled time, but 15 minutes later, Cindy texted me to ask where I was because she was at the outlet and didn't see me.  Well, we were at 2 different Beall's.  We ended up getting together at the mall at North Port around 12:30.  We were in and out of a lot of stores and it was a fun day for both of us.  I got back to the condo around 5:15.  Ken had spent the day working on the computer paying bills, etc. We had dinner and Ken went to Celebrate Recovery.  I did some crafting and watched The Voice.

Tuesday Ken and I drove to downtown Venice where we met Cindy and John at The Upper Crust to enjoy a scone.

The Upper Crust makes so many delicious scones - blueberry
is Ken and my favorite!

Oh so good with that delicious Devenshire Cream!

We drove to a parking area for the Venice Waterway Bike Trail and rode 2 miles to Caspersen Beach.  We did stop to feed the scrub jays but didn't see any of them.  Recently there was a planned burn in the area and they also removed some of the trees that they inhabited.  Unfortunately, I think the scrub jays might have moved to a new location.  We spent some time walking the beach, rode back to our cars, and then went to their campground for the rest of the day.  We played some card games and then at 4 went to Briandi's for a delicious Italian dinner.  We did stop at the North Jetty on our way.  

We did additional card playing when we got back to their motorhome and by 8:30 Ken and I drove back home and I got to watch New Amsterdam.  It was a fun day with my sis and her husband.

Wednesday morning Ken and I met Joe and Carolyn at their house at 9:45 and drove to a local restaurant - another great place for breakfast.  Then it was back to their house to play 500 Rummy.  We had a fun time and Ken and Carolyn were the winners.  We were home by 2:30 and by 4 Cindy and John were here to have dinner with us.  Ken grilled, we had salads and some potatoes and Cindy provided dessert.  It was another evening of card playing and we split the games.  It was another great day!

Our housewarming gift from Cindy and John - a beautiful
lighted scene with the beach and a white heron!  Love it!
Thanks so much!

Thursday Ken went to help at the Food Pantry and I did some "catch up" type things at the condo.  When he returned, we chatted for a little and then I left to do some more shopping for just a few small decorating items and do some returns.  I only returned around 3:30.  

Rick and Joyce arrived at 4 and Ken was in the process of putting up the towel rack I had bought for the guest bath.  So, Rick helped with that task and Joyce and I worked on shortening the blinds in our BR which turned out to be quite a job!  But, with patience and cooperation we accomplished the task.  By then it was time to get dinner prepped.  Ken and Rick did the grilling after a brief shower while Joyce and I got the potatoes ready (Ken and I had gotten the salad together earlier!)  After dinner and clean-up it was time for card playing.  It was a victorious night for the ladies winning pinochle and Skip-Bo.  They left at 10:15 and Ken and I went right to bed.  We so enjoy our time with Rick and Joyce - such special friends that we will really miss when we return to PA!

A pretty rainbow after the brief shower!

Monday and Tuesday - Beautiful Days!

Monday Ken got in his 10,000 steps while I did my mile+ walk.  We were busy packing and making breakfast before leaving at 9:15 to visit Bob and Pat, friends from Edgewater Church.  After a very nice 1 1/2 visit, we drove to Venice to spend time with Rick and Joyce.

We played a game of double deck Pinochle and the men actually won!  We had a very nice visit but left around 2 to get back to the Condo to do more packing in preparation for our trip home early Wednesday morning.  Ken had Celebrate Recovery in the evening and I had a nice phone conversation with Doloris back in PA and with Melissa that we had visited at The Villages.  It was great to talk to both of them.  I did some crocheting while watching The Voice.  Ken was back home by 9 and we were in bed by 10.  Can't believe it is time to head back to PA!

Today, Tuesday, Ken and I did the same walks as yesterday.  We loaded some items in the car and by 8:45 we were on our way to Venice to meet John, Cindy, Rick and Joyce at Peach's for breakfast.  What a fun time the 6 of us shared!  We said our good-byes to Rick and Joyce, because we won't see them again until after Christmas when we return to Florida for the winter.  We are certainly going to miss these special friends!

Ken and I went to Royal Coachman, the camping resort where Cindy and John are staying, and played 3 games of shuffleboard with the women beating them rather handily every game!  Then we went to their motorhome where the men beat the women in a game of Skip-Bo.  I never seem to win that game no matter who my partner is - I think I really dislike that game!!!!

We said our good-byes, for they won't return to PA until the beginning of November, and were back to the Condo by 3:30.  Ken rested in preparation for our early rise tomorrow morning while I did devotions and some cleaning.  He went to meet Joe from church for coffee while I washed the bathroom floors.  When he returned we had leftovers for dinner and then loaded the car.  We watched some TV and by 9:00 we were in bed for an early rise time!

The Weekend - What a Fantastic One!

My sister and brother-in-law are here - hallelujah!  After breakfast, Ken and I drove to Manasota Beach to meet Cindy and John.  We hadn't seen them since Labor Day so it was a great reunion.  

It was a beautiful sunny warm day to be on the beach and not very crowded.  After some time of chatting and catching up on life, Cindy and I decided to start hunting for shark's teeth.  The ocean water is in the 80's and felt terrific.  Not a great day for finding teeth, but we found enough and had a lot of fun doing it.  

The sisters are busy sharks teeth hunting!

What a gorgeous beach day!

The 4 of us left the beach around 1:30 and planned to meet at Edgewater Church tomorrow morning.  After some relaxing at the condo, Ken and I left a little before 5 to meet 3 other couples from our church in Lancaster County at Farlow's on the Water.  Howie and Deb were just visiting for a few days and Frank, Barb, Rick and Joyce are now Florida residents.  We had delicious meal and fun evening of fellowship.

What a great group of friends from PA!

Ken and I were back to the condo by 8:30, watched some football, and were in bed by 10:30.  What a special day!

Today, Sunday, we met Cindy and John at church and had fun introducing them to many of our friends.  After the service, we went to Hometown Grill for a delicious breakfast at such ridiculously low pricing.  3 of us had wraps with eggs, cheese, sausage, and potatoes for $5.00 and coffee or ice tea was included - crazy!

Then we drove to our condo to show our new Florida abode to them.  I was so excited for my sister to see it.  They brought us a gorgeous glass light that has a picture of the beach with a white heron on it.  How thoughtful!  We had a nice time visiting and then took a walk around our community, checking out the pools and the clubhouse, as well as all the beautiful landscaping.  Because they have a dog, they left around 2:00, so we had no time for game playing.

Ken and I did some reading, devotions, and watched football.  We also had a wonderful live chat with Lanie, Samantha, and Katelyn.  It was so good to see and talk to them. 

Ken and I had purchased another saying to put on our bedroom wall (larger than the LR one) and after the difficult time we had getting the other one on the wall, we weren't sure we were up to doing an even larger one.  But we both decided to give it a try and this one actually went on easier than the 1st one.  Patience and working well together were the key!

I stayed up a bit later than Ken to watch more of the football game, but by 10:45 I was ready for bed.  This was another great day!

Ken's favorite flower, Bird of Paradise, and it was it was growing
at Bob and Carol's house!

We get to see this beautiful scene all the time from our LR!

Thursday and Friday - Food Pantry and Fun with Friends!

Thursday morning Ken did his devotions and took a long walk before leaving for the Food Pantry.  I took a shorter walk around our community and then went to the pool to do some stretches and exercises.  After showering and having lunch, Ken rested (he was up so early and slept poorly) before leaving at 3:15 to go to Rick and Joyce's to have dinner and play Pinochle.  

Upon our arrival, they said they wanted to have a serious chat.  Turns out they signed a contract to build a home in a community about 1 mile from their present home.  We were so excited for them.  We drove to the community to go through the model home similar to the one they will be building and what a beautiful home it will be.  They are hoping to move in next June and it will be fun to watch it being built when we return in January.

Back to their house where we had a delicious dinner courtesy of Rick and Joyce - chicken parm with wheat pasta and complete with pumpkin pie for dessert.  It was a fun evening, but we only had time for 1 game of pinochle and the women won rather handily!  Back home and right to bed.

Friday, Ken's early morning was a repeat of yesterday, but then we both left to work at the food pantry by 8:45.  We didn't have a lot of food for the folks who came today and we served 86 people.  All went well and by 1:00, 8 of us were at the Olive Garden for lunch.  It was a great time of sharing!

We were back home around 3:00 and had a very light dinner before leaving at 645 to spend the evening with Bob and Carol from church.  We had a tour of their beautiful home before playing a game (4 rounds) of Hand and Foot.  The poor men struggled and the women were victorious by a rather large margin, but we all had such a good time.  We were home by 10:30 and it was right to bed for these "older folks"!

We talked with Cindy and John today, for they are about 30 minutes from us in a campground in Nokomis, but we haven't had a chance to get together.  planning to meet them at Manasota Beach tomorrow morning.  We are so anxious to get toghter.

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday - Fun Time at The Villages with Chuck and Melissa!

After we finished packing and had breakfast, Ken loaded the car and by 8 we were on our way to The Villages to spend time with Chuck and Melissa, our special camping friends that we did so much traveling with over the years!  I had a great conversation with Jamie on the way and she said Cali, with her OCD, is at the best "place" she has been for years - hallelujah!   Due to a 25 minute slow down on I-75, we only arrived at their home around 11:15.  What a happy reunion!

We spent a lot of time sitting and "catching up" on our lives over the past 6 months.  We had a lot to share!  After lunch, we decided to take a drive to the newest area in The Villages to see what had been completed since our last visit and to take a short walk on a new walking/bike path - so beautiful.  When we returned to their home, we had lasagna and salad for dinner, compliments of Melissa and it was positively delicious.  We played Pinochle all evening with the women winning 2 out of 3 games.  We taught them Pinochle about 5 years ago and we are their only friends who know how to play, so that is one of the games we always play when we get together.  This day was a special one!

Tuesday morning we met on their front patio for coffee/chai and some more conversation.  After breakfast, we drove to the nearby shuffleboard courts and played 2 games which were both won by the men.  On to the neighboring bocce courts where the men won again, but it was a close game.  We headed into the clubhouse where we played 2 games of pool and Chuck and Melissa won both of them.

It was now 1:30 and we were all hungry so we drove to McAllisters for delicious salads.  It was their anniversary and they had 30 cent ice teas, a great treat for Ken.  (Actually, all of us enjoyed that drink!).  We went back to their home, showered, and then spent about 1 1/2 hours watching all the photos Melissa had taken during our trip out west in 2015.  We viewed them on their 75" TV and the photos from the National Parks where amazing.  What an awesome trip we were able to share with them and watching the photos together brought back so many wonderful memories and we remembered different things about the many locations we visited.

We spent the rest of the evening playing the Canadian board game, Tock.  We had played it with them back in April when we visited, but we definitely needed a refresher course!  It is a fun game with some luck, but also quite a bit of strategy.  We played 2 games and we each one 1.  Another fun day with Chuck and Melissa!

Wednesday morning we enjoyed our beverages in their lanai area and then moved to the LR to watch more photos of the last 4 places we visited on that 2015 western adventure.  We particularly were amazed about our hike up Angel's Landing in Zion National Park.  We are all surprised we actually did it and agreed that 1X was enough!  We decided to stay in and played more games until our departure around 1:30.  I was having trouble with my hip and Chuck just finished PT for his knee, and it does not appear to have helped.  He is scheduled to see the Dr. again in the near future.  So, we played a game of Pinochle (women won!) and then Skip-Bo which was another victory for the women.  We ended these 3 days with the women winning 6 games and the men 5!  We ate a quick lunch and Ken and I were on our way back to Port Charlotte by 1:30 after a very special time with wonderful friends!  The good-byes were a bit easier than sometimes because we will get together again in the New Year!

We were back to our condo by 4:15 and about 4 packages had arrived from Amazon.  After unloading and unpacking, Ken and I worked together to hang the rod and new curtains in the guest BR, and then hung the photo canvas print we had bought for above our bed!  We had a light dinner and then we read and watched a little TV.  We were in bed by 9:30!

I talked to Cindy while we were driving and they are going to be in Venice at Royal Coachman campground this Thursday instead of the weekend.  We will be so happy to see them and spent time together.  Glad they will be arriving earlier than planned.