Ringing in 2021

We've been isolated in our homes most of 2020 in order to avoid getting the super contagious Covid-19.  

We've welcomed the new year for the past 4 years with Jane and Gene Pinson. The Pinsons live next door to us in Savanna Club in Port St. Lucie, Florida.  AND, they are from Harper's Ferry, West Virginia (about 100 miles due north of our home in Harrisonburg, Virginia).

 I filed those photos of the last 4 years at a very safe place - so safe I can't even find them!  

 Anyhoo, we welcomed 2021 in with champagne while beating on pots and pans in our driveway.

.  Woo-hoo! 

 Happy 2021!

Seafood Fantabulous Feast for Christmas

It was an honor to be invited to share Christmas Day with Norma Pennie's family in Ft. Lauderdale.

Our hosts, Angela and Jeff Lyman.  Angela is the sister of Nick, Norma's son-in-law.

 Angela and her bro, Nick (Norma's son-in-law).

 Caprese Tree

 The "girls" ready for the feast!

Jeff preparing the lobster tails for grilling.

Norma with her daughters, Noreen and Lisa

Now, the highlights of the menu!  

Tuna sushi (Much to my surprise, it was good!) I especially liked the mushrooms stuffed with crab and lobster, along with several other appetizers.

Mac and cheese with crab. 

Seafood gumbo with steamers, fish, and shrimp.

We ate out by the water - a lovely setting for a Florida Christmas!

 MaryMay and Norma, ready to partake of those luscious lobster tails! 

Good friends and a seafood fest -  a great way to celebrate Christmas.

Golf Cart Caroling

The article in our weekly newsletter talked about caroling and I thought it sounded like a novel idea.  My neighbors agreed to come with me.  We meant to take more photos but were busy enjoying all the lights in our community.  Plus, it was rather dark ........AND rather chilly - 55 degrees is a tad chilly  (for me) when in a "one-horse open sleigh" -- er, open golf cart!

Yes, we will go again next year!

St. Patrick's Day in St. Augustine

My very good friends, Jan and Dave Clements, were motivated by Ed and me to get an RV.  They just bought their 2nd one, a brand new Damon Challenger 36 DF. It's actually 37 feet and has a bath and a half with two slides.(Triton 10 Ford)

They live near Ocala in the middle of Florida and their RV club was going on a rally to St. Augustine for St. Patty's Day weekend.  

They invited me and I accepted.....then started wondering how in the world I was going to get there!  (It's about 3 hours north of Port St. Lucie and I can barely drive a half hour without major muscle spasms and pain.)  

I convinced my new friend, Norma Pennie to go and be my driver.  I didn't get a good photo of their RV but you can get a glimpse of the full-body paint job.  Norma is in the foreground.  

We got there on Friday evening and enjoyed heavy hors d'oeuvres (which we considered dinner) at the clubhouse of the campground.  

Saturday, Dave went to play golf and I'm sure he was glad to escape a girls' shopping trip.  Jan's friend, Dorothy joined Jan, Norma, and me.  I had forgotten how fantastic the shopping is in old St. Augustine.  There was one little art shop and boutique after another with totally unique clothes, jewelry, and home accessories.  We shopped till we dropped!!

We got back to the campgrounds in time for the corned beef and cabbage dinner, which was sooo good.  It was nice to just get away and share laughs and conversation with dear long-time and new friends.

I did think the shot below was such a funny pic of Jan and Dave.  He looks like the cat who swallowed the canary and she looks like ????

It means so much to be with special, close friends.  Thank you, Jan and Dave, and a special thanks to Norma for driving (I think she had a good time, too).

Loving Her Was Easier

"Loving Her Was Easier":  This is THE most romantic song Ed used to say was for and about me. We didn't dance a lot but any time this played, we danced and he would softly sing to me. He was a very good singer, too! I'm glad I didn't remember this when I was planning his Celebration of Life last April because I would have totally lost it during the service.

Click one of these links to hear this beautiful song:  1. Loving Her Was Easy    2. Loving Her Was Easier Than.... 

Loving Her Was Easier (Than Anything I’ll Ever Do Again)   Kris Kristofferson

I have seen the morning burning golden on the mountains in the skies.
Achin' with the feelin' of the freedom of an eagle when she flies.
Turnin' on the world the way she smiled upon my soul as I lay dying.
Healin' as the colours in the sunshine and the shadows of her eyes.

Wakin' in the mornin' to the feelin' of her fingers on my skin.
Wipin' out the traces of the people and the places that I've been.
Teachin' me that yesterday was something that I never thought of trying.
Talkin' of tomorrow and the money, love and time we had to spend.

Comin' close together with a feelin' that I've never known before, in my time.
She ain't ashamed to be a woman, or afraid to be a friend.
I don't know the answer to the easy way she opened every door in my mind.
But dreamin' was as easy as believin' it was never gonna end.

And lovin' her was easier than anything I'll ever do again.

Ed used to tell me every day in some creative way how much he loved me.  Sometimes he'd leave me a post-it saying,  "Thanks for cleaning my bathroom sink."  Sometimes he'd send me an email, or write me a love letter, or just tell me WHY he loved me so much.  We hugged every single day.

How blessed I was to have been loved like that and I wish everyone could experience that same depth of love. 

A few of the key components for a meaningful relationship are being willing to give of yourself, compromising, affirming the good points in each other, accepting those "other points", being kind to each other, and laughing together.

That’s how it was with Edmond and MaryMay Angelil!  

Happy Valentine's Day, to my dear and wonderful Angel Man, who is now in heaven (probably arguing politics or shopping for a newer, faster computer) with lots of other angels.

Brunch and Scuba Club Board Party

Two of my dive buddies, Russ and Julie Manhold, encouraged me to come down to Ft. Lauderdale for the Board party of our scuba club, the Undersea Adventurers.

I can't drive more than about 15 miles without experiencing major muscle spasms (ye ole fibromyalgia again).  It worked out that my new friend, Norma Pennie, has a daughter who lives in Ft. Lauderdale.  So Norma drove us down for the day!

We met Ed's son, Steve, daughter-in-law, Lorraine, and grandson, Sean (8) for brunch.  Norma fit right in.  We had a delightful meal!  

Sean's "my boy"!  It was a special day a few years ago when I was promoted from Ms. Mary to Grandmother Mary.  After eating, we walked a few doors down, where I met Sean's karate instructor.

We spent the afternoon with Norma's daughter, Lisa.  Turned out she lived only five minutes from the party location!

I've been a member of the Undersea Adventurers Dive Club since 1980 and those friendships are still going strong. We have those friendships where we can go years without seeing each other, then start up a conversation as if we were together yesterday. 

Julie & Russ Manhold, Kathi & Steve McCutcheon, MaryMay Angelil

This was a great day for connecting with family, new friends, and long time friends.

Elf-ateers at the Red Hat PJ Party

I considered not posting this because I was afraid it was too shocking......a PJ party?  Then I realized that the pajamas we wore to this Red Hat party were really quite conservative.  

This all started when "The Lindas" and I were in Walgreens looking at the Christmas decorations.  I found these butterflies and asked,  "If I would wear this red butterfly in my hair, wouldn't it count as a 'red hat' at one of our functions?" 

Somehow, this took off and after brainstorming for our PJ party, various shopping efforts, and a little "assembly" party, we were ready to make our debut as the Three Elf-ateers.

Our figures and sizes are just different enough that finding pajamas that would fit all three of us was a real challenge.  We got hysterical as we shopped together and tried on various possibilities.....but Linda Houlihan found these red models that worked.

Linda Ricioppo found flashing earrings and I ordered Avon slippers that blinked as we walked.

This party was also a hat decorating contest so we entered our 3 hats as one entity.......and we won for "Most Original!!" 

It was a kick to watch people as it dawned on them that we were dressed alike.

This was also one of the most fun times I've ever had.....one of those unique days.  Most of all, it was great to share such an experience with two special friends.

My Besties at the Women's Club Christmas Party

I have sooo many friends in Savanna Club.  My first friends here will always hold a special place in my heart.  The pics below were taken at the Women's Club Christmas/Holiday party.

Bobbie Steinberg and MMA

Bonnie McDonnell and MMA

"The Lindas" Linda Ricioppo, MMA, Linda Houlihan

Suzanne Gibbs, MMA

MMA, Norma Pennie

Savanna Club in Port St. Lucie, FL is a good place for me to be, especially in the winter.  Most everyone is retired, they all live within a mile or two, and best of all are "ready to go play" most any day!

Christmas Parade - FL Style

Who would guess what fun a Christmas parade with golf carts could be?  People spend weeks planning their "floats."

The sheriff led the parade.  The carts (about 40 this year) were followed by cars from our Classic Car Club.

Here are a few samples:

Not sure, but this might have been The Ghost of Christmas Past, a character from "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens.

Santa, Florida style!

The cart below was one of the winners.  I'm not sure how they got the gifts to stay up there!

We had refreshments and caroling after the parade.

 Here's part of the crew who prepared the punch, coffee, and cookies for the refreshments.  That's moi on the right.

I enjoyed doing this but it did knock me flat the next day! 
(I try my best to ignore my fibromyalgia but it shows itself sometimes.)

Singing carols.

The golf cart parade was a fun way to get the Christmas/Holiday season started!

Day Trip to Mt. Dora

"The Lindas" (my two dear friends named Linda Houlihan and Linda Ricioppo) and I took a bus day trip to a little town in central Florida called Mt. Dora.

I've heard of Mt. Dora for years and was curious to go there.  It is known for its Christmas lights, music, and little shops.

 After supper, we continued shopping and came across dear ole Santa!

We bought a few little unusual gifts and just had a nice day with perfect weather.  

 It was great to get out of town with two of my favorite people, "The Lindas."

Yom Kippur 2012

My friends, Bobbie and Ron Steinberg (the ones who visited us in Virginia last year -- Childlike Enthusiasm for Cows) invited me to their home in Savanna Club to celebrate Yom Kippur last evening.  I call them my "homies" because they're like family.

Yom Kippur, also known as Day of Atonement, is the holiest day of the year for the Jewish people.  It is a day for fasting and repenting from the sins of the previous year.  Traditionally this holy day is observed with a 25 hour period of fasting and prayer.

Bobbie, Sheila, Suzanne, Allen, George, Howie, Benay, MaryMay, Ron, and Larry

I had gingerly tasted lox and bagels and herring in sour cream before.  This time, I ate them with gusto and thoroughly enjoyed them, along with all the other trimmings. 
When I taught in Ft. Lauderdale, I always enjoyed having holidays for Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur.  Now it's nice to know the meaning of these holidays.   

Gmar Chatimah Tovah! (May you be sealed in the Book of Life for a good year).

p.s.  Correction:  Last week at Rosh Hashana, Bobbie was the one who made the kasha varnishkes.

Rosh Hashanah Dinner 2012

My friends at Savanna Club are very kind and thoughtful about including me in various activities.  

I felt very honored to be invited to celebrate Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year) at the home of Sheila and George Soto.
 
The meal began with chopped liver, which I was able to eat thanks to Suzanne's good recipe!  Ron made some delicious matzo ball soup from scratch.  (A matzo ball is a dumpling made from matzah meal, eggs, and oil.)

Rosh Hashanah meals usually include apples and honey to symbolize a sweet new year. 

George and Suzanne with round challah bread to symbolize the cycle of the year.  It was so moist.

 Bobbie, Sheila, Larry, Daryl & Ron

Sheila made kasha varnishkes (buckwheat groats cooked with onions and chicken stock, then mixed with bowtie pasta), carrots, flat point brisket (to die for!) and Moroccan chicken.

 For dessert we had rugulah pastry and apple cake. Deana surprised Sheila with an early birthday cake.

Happy Birthday, Sheila!

What a nice evening with good friends!  Thank you, Sheila and George, and "Shanah Tovah" (for a good year).