Celebration of Graduation

The Foersters have been our dear friends for years and we shared many holidays with them  Today I felt honored to be invited to the party for Emma's graduation from high school  

Mrs. Angelil (they always call me that and I love it!)  with Claire and Emma Foerster --- her girls!

Special Friends --- Robert, Claire, Emma, and Beth Foerster with MaryMay Angelil.  

Claire is studying Criminal Justice at VCU (Virginia Commonwealth University) in Richmond and Emma will be studying art at Bridgewater College this fall.  Congratulations on great accomplishments by two smart girls with two very smart parents!

My Birthday at Bar-B-Q Ranch

I thought I was going to be alone for my birthday today but my cousin, Stashia May Kline, saved the day when she invited me to lunch.  My brother, Philip May, unexpectedly  joined us but I forgot to take a photo including him. 

I prefer to eat at local places wherever I am so after racking our brains, we remembered the Bar-B-Q Ranch.   

 

This place has been there about as long as I've been alive so it's an appropriate place to celebrate my birthday.

Barbeque, fried chicken, fried pickles, sweet potato sticks, and reasonable prices are still there.  It even looks the same, inside and out.....ambiance, not exactly, memories, YES!

 
They're also known for their collections of thousands of porcelain pigs.  They used to have those little speakers but will still provide curbside service if you turn on your headlights and blow your horn.  How quaint is that!

MaryMay Angelil and Stashia Kline sitting on a pig (bench).

Happy birthday to me, myself and I at the Bar-B-Q Ranch in Harrisonburg, Virginia!  (No I don't get a kick-back for this blog post!)

p.s.  I really appreciate all the cards, calls, FB wishes and email cards!!  Thank you!

Levi Leaves for Europe

Well, today was the day...my 23-year-old nephew, Levi Walker May, left for 55 days in ten countries in Europe.  I was honored that he allowed me to share my extensive travel experience with him and that he listened to almost all my suggestions.  He was determined to take only one backpack (impossible for a female!) and much to my amazement, he did it. 

Oh, how I wish we'd taken a photo of all his items laid out on the coffee table and the steps we took to fit everything in.  It was with much finesse that we brainstormed, culled, and got things packed in an orderly fashion.   

Unfortunately, it was too large to be a carry-on.  His dad, Phil May, suggested adding Velcro bands to make sure that all the backpack straps didn't get caught on conveyor belts. 

  Measuring the Velcro

Oh, no, the Velcro stuck too soon.  That stuff is STRONG and didn't come with an undo button!

 

The famous Velcro bands securing 

the backpack cover.

I was impressed at the spreadsheets, etc. he had made for his trip itinerary and documents.  He's flying to Dublin, where he'll meet 2 buddies.  They'll be flying to Amsterdam, where they'll join their bus tour of 5 countries.  He'll then be going to Norway, Turkey, and Greece.  His final step is a two-week graduate course in England.  

 

Aunt Mary, Levi, and his mom, Maribeth,
at Reagan National Airport

Bon voyage, Levi! (I hope he will heed our warnings about safety.  He can be such a trusting soul sometimes!) 

Easter at Evie's

Easter wasn't as difficult as I had feared.  I felt comfortable getting up and going to church by myself.  Then I was invited two doors down to the home of Evie (Evelyn) Schaff. Her daughter and son-in-law, Phyllis and Bob Brandt, have watched over me this year, especially on holidays.  

I made Cousin Marilyn Freeman's sweet potato casserole, Mother's lime jello salad, and some "special" deviled eggs.

They had ham and every other food you could think of.  I always have a good time with them and they make me feel like family.  It's wonderful to have such special friends!

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).

Red Hats in the Swamp

I volunteered to be the activity leader for our February "Hattitudes."  We went to Indiantown, FL, which is about 40 miles SW of us.  We had lunch at the Seminole Inn.  This quaint, charming inn was built in 1926 and has about 35 rooms.
We then boarded a bus for a half hour ride to the Barley Barber Swamp.   We watched a video on the way out.  That was one ROUGH ride!

This swamp is known as one of the finest remaining old growth cypress communities in the country.  It adjoins one of the power plants for Florida Power and Light so they bought about 400 acres and have preserved it.  

There is a very nice boardwalk through the area and we had two personable, knowledgeable guides.

Here's a cypress tree that's about a thousand years old.

Mollie Pike, one of our older members, decided to go, even though she's having a hip replacement next week.  We made her Queen for the Day!  What a good (and brave) sport she was.

This is one of the more adventuresome trips this group has taken and I think most everyone enjoyed our "mini-safari" into a little-known place that's not really that far away.  

The Seminole Inn is especially famous for their Sunday brunches and some ladies were already making plans to return with their hubbies and visiting families for brunch and the swamp tour.

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.

New Posts Being Added

There are several new posts added before/below the essay about Ed, the Shepherd.  Just scroll down to see them.  

I am putting them in chronological order and am just now getting them posted.......a few more to follow so keep checking back, OK?

Ed, the Shepherd 2001

By Mary May Barrows (Angelil)     Christmas Eve 2001 (soon after we moved from Florida to Virginia)

We are here in Virginia and somehow the days just roll by.  Ed keeps life interesting – it’s kind of like watching a whirling dervish when he enters the house.  His zest for life and enthusiasm are joyful to behold.

He was a very good Shepherd #1 for the Christmas Eve service.  He carried a torch pole with an orange cellophane torch.  For their first scene, shepherd #2 came in first and it became his job to herd the "sheep"   (a tiny girl of about 4 years dressed in what appeared to be a rabbit costume.  It took several minutes for me to figure out that she was a sheep.)   He had a tough time trying to get her to go up onto the stage and not into the aisle. 


For their second appearance, Shepherd #1 (Ed) entered first with the tiny sheep in front of him.  I almost giggled out loud as he tried to gently nudge her along with the pole of his torch.  Even with the sheep-herding problems, Ed spoke his 3 lines perfectly and projected his voice quite well.

Both scenes dealing with this tiny sheep quite resembled how things might go if you tried to herd cats!  (Only you "cat" people can truly understand this.)

When I asked Ed afterwards why he tried to guide her with the torch pole, he said they were told quite clearly backstage not to touch the children.  Even in this tiny town we have to think of legal ramifications! 

I was really proud of Shepherd #1 and even more pleased that he consented to do it.  A nice side benefit was that Shepherd #2 is a very successful real estate/construction man and Ed had great fun discussing heating systems with him.

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!

First Holidays Alone

I've heard that those first holidays without a loved one can be difficult.  A former minister's wife from my home church in Singers Glen, VA named Rosalie Bailey sent me a booklet in the fall about preparing for those days.  Basically, it said that you can get yourself through those holidays much more smoothly if you PLAN ahead and get yourself out of your house to be with people.  That's what I did and I survived.  Thank you, Rosalie!

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."