Saturday, December 11, 2010

The last time I wrote was 12/1.  We have been busy.  We went to the SKP lunch on 12/2 at the Golden Corral – lots of friends.  On Monday, we went to the storage unit to get organized for our booth at the Eustis flea market.  Then on Wednesday, we went back to the storage unit to load the Jeep for Thursday morning.  Other than being cold, the flea market went well, and we got rid of most of our Xmas decorations plus a few other things.  We should be able to downsize to a 5 by 10 storage unit soon.  Yesterday, I finally finished my CPE for preparing taxes next spring.  I sent out a letter saying that spring 2011 would be my last tax season, and a few clients are calling to make sure I would do theirs in 2011.  A few I will keep for 2012, but they will have to mail me their information.  Today is sunny and 69 at 3PM, but it is only supposed to reach the mid 50s on Monday.

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Tuesday was exciting, we went to the bank, went to the storage unit to pick up some holiday decorations, and stopped at Publix on the way back to the motorhome.  Today, Wednesday, we had lunch at TwoJays in the Villages with Tom and Mary Ellen Banks.  Tom seems to be doing quite well considering he has had two strokes.  He come without his oxygen tank and teased Mary Ellen throughout the meal.  Mary Ellen said she thought he had some confusion due to the strokes, but, whether it was confusion or teasing, lunch was fun.  Then it was on to Verizon with questions about our plan and phones.  We also stopped at BestBuy, Sam’s Club, and Publix before going home.

Monday, November 28, 2010

Today, we left our Escapees friends at Sumter Oaks in Bushnell, FL, and moved the motorhome 36 miles to Haines Creek RV Village between Leesburg and Eustis, FL.  We will stay here for four months (we will leave for three rallies) so I can prepare tax returns for others for my last tax season.  This park is only one mile from where we used to live at Mid Florida Lakes.  Everyone here at Haines Creek welcomed us back to the park.

Yesterday, Larry Jarvis prepared a 2:00 dinner for 10 of us with hot dogs that he and Carolyn had brought frozen from Buffalo, NY.  They were good, along with the baked beans, coleslaw and pasta salad.  At 4:00 we all went up to the clubhouse for social hour.  The clubhouse doors are going to be decorated individually by different people in the park.  The picture below shows the transition from one holiday to the next, the door was decorated by Carolyn Jarvis.

Friday, November 26, 2010

Tonight, here at Sumter Oaks, we had a wonderful potluck dinner of leftovers from yesterday's great Thanksgiving dinner.

Thanksgiving, November 24, 2010

Today has been a very different but wonderful Thanksgiving.  Marilyn and I spent a quiet morning – strange without Mom and the kids.  Marilyn made a sweet potato casserole and pumpkin bread (delicious) to take to the 2:00 dinner up at the clubhouse.  The park prepared turkey for all of the tables, and those at the table brought the potluck items.  It was a fabulous dinner, and the leftovers are going to be brought to the potluck tomorrow night at 6:00 (we get to do it all over again).  After dinner, we walked around the park to wear off some of it.

Saturday, November 20, 2010

Last Sunday, we had moved to site 49 at Sumter Oaks, the Escapees park in Bushnell, FL.  There we continued to spend time with our Escapees friends,  Monday, I drove to Eustis to go to the dentist, storage unit, get the Jeep serviced, and pick up mail.  Marilyn and I walked on Wednesday, and took pictures of the wild pig living with the donkeys next door.

On Thursday, we drove to Sun City Center to visit Marilyn’s 94 year old cousin, Paul Bancel and his 92 year old wife, Joan.  We returned to Sumter Oaks for a wonderful pot roast dinner followed by entertaining skits.  Frank and Maureen Halliday sat across from us at dinner.

A couple of boomers played their interesting percussion instruments to lively tunes.

Illie and Ulio sang about all of the women in their lives, and a couple joined them.

On Friday, Larry Jarvis and I went to Regions Bank to open a new checking account for Chapter 27.  Saturday, after a breakfast of French toast at Sumter Oaks, 16 of us went to the Margarita Grill for lunch – both lunch and the margaritas were great.  The first picture shows the delivery of the margaritas.

Next, Rich Coppens shares a margarita with his wife Mary.

And of course, we needed a picture of the aftermath.

Sunday, November 14, 2010

I know it has been a whole week since I last published on this blog, but Marilyn and I have been very busy at the Chapter 15/27 combined rally at Paradise Oaks RV Resort in Bushnell, FL.  It was a great rally, but in some ways it is good that it is over.  Marilyn and I have been doing nothing but eat wonderful meals since we left Escapade in September.  This rally was no different with breakfast and dinner every day, from hobo stew to last night’s thanksgiving dinner.

After dinner, some of us stayed to dance to music provided by Lynn and Becky Lundy.

Including the Macarena above, and the chicken dance below.

The night before we had our own chili cookoff.  Wally and Wanda, Sumter Oaks managers, were our judges, and they picked Pete Petersen’s chili as the winner because it tasted good and was spicy.

Pete had all of the chili cooks stand in front of their creations.

On November 11th, many of us went to the Bushnell National Cemetery for their wonderful ceremony.

Of course some have to Ham it up.

We have moved 8 miles to the Escapees Sumter Oaks park in Bushnell, FL, site number 49.

I guess that is enough for now.