SALEM OHIO DAY in SOUTHWEST FLORIDA

Saturday, February 11th - 
We always look forward to Salem Day in Florida as we never know who we are going to see that we do not normally see when in Ohio. And we do not get here every year. So it is fun!!

Restaurant at Shell Factory in N. Fort Myers
where the dinner was held.

Think it is a tourist area!

Yummiest cake ever!!

About 80 attended, compared to the last time we were
here when 129 attended. They are just
beginning to arrive.

We were first greeted by Marian Beck's daughter, Shelly, who lives near Columbus with Marian across the street. The Beck's have been friends of ours for years, especially through Boy Scouts. It was great finding out that Marian is doing well. I do talk to her on the phone every now and then.

Audrey, Gary and Shelly

Along with Shelly and her husband John, we were greeted by Dale and Teresa Ozimek.
There were others greeting also as the committee of long standing has changed. They do a wonderful job.
They had a 50/50 and some prize drawings which I was lucky enough to win four tickets for the Neil Diamond Tribute to be held at Salem's High School Auditorium on May 7th.  Hope that we are in Salem to take advantage of this. Gary also won and got a package of cards with a different pencil drawing on each of Historical Homes in Salem, each done by a different artist. They are beautiful!! One was done by J C Siembieda. There were six winners from our table, which seemed very unusual. I am sure that everyone else thought so also!

Shelly, Theresa and Audrey

While we were catching up, Gary was doing the same with Tim Dean, who is a friend from way back in school and in Gary's early years at First Friends Church on E. Pershing Street.

Tim Dean and Gary

We chose a table and greeted others as they joined us. We knew the Kellys from First Friends and I knew Genesta from Farmers/Bank One/Chase through our banking years.

Genesta and John Vokovich,
Jim and Nancy Kelly

Charles Alexander

After a very delicious dinner, we had entertainment by Charles Alexander from Salem's class of 1966. I realized while he was talking that he was a son of Connie Alexander who we served with us on the Habitat for Humanity Board for many years. I was saddened to learn that she had passed away this past fall, right after Thanksgiving. His music was enjoyable and we hope that he will join us again.

I should be getting an email with a picture of all of the Salem attendees.  When I get this, I will add it to this Blog.
Adding group picture of Salem Day

Our next outing is tomorrow with dinner at Homer Restaurant in Sebring, Florida for all of the Ohio people who are here in Craig's RV Resort.  Gary goes to coffee each morning and was surprised to find that about a third (?) of the park are from Ohio.
We also go to Bingo on Monday evenings and surprise, I won $20 last evening. We spent the evening sitting with our neighbors who are from Indiana.  Since we do not have much shade near our motor home because of the angle that we are parked, we are not outside much!! I miss sitting out to read.
Wonder what else we will find to do the the last two weeks in this location?

THOMAS EDISON and HENRY FORD'S SUMMER ESTATES & MUSEUM

Wednesday, Feb 8th, we drove down to Fort Myers to visit the Thomas Edison and Henry Ford's summer estates and museums. we can always find new things to visit.

Banyan Tree

Thomas Edison

Thomas Edison home

Henry Ford home

The pictures coming up next were more interesting to us than the houses. I think that this is because we have toured so many homes of the past all across the country. We especially always enjoyed the Antebellum homes of the south more than their summer homes.

And the flowers from the trees and the gardens are always my favorite!  I miss my flower gardens, but they were not as unusual as some of these.

First bloom of the season in a tree where we first
entered the grounds.

Orchids in abundance!

Enjoy!! Our next outing will be the Salem Ohio day in North Fort Myers on the 11th.
Stay tuned!

ARRIVED IN ARCADIA FL for the MONTH of FEB

Heading south from Bushnell on Thursday the 2nd. This was inland about 40 miles from the Gulf. We first went through Wauchula, then Zolfo Springs, on to Arcadia where we will stay this year. We are on a waiting list to get into an Escapee Park in Zolfo Springs when our name comes up. We've been waiting three and half years. Hopefully, it will be only one more year. In the mean time we hope to get more travels under our belts in this next year.

Arrived at Craig's RV Resort. We've met a couple people here from Westville and Louisville in Ohio. We keep looking at license plates. That is how we find them. We hope to get to the Ohio dinner on Wednesday here in the park.

Park office and Activity Room

After church in Arcadia and lunch at Pizza Hut that first Sunday, we drove on south toward Port Charlotte to visit with my 2 great niece's families. They had visitors there from Indiana also, including my niece, Tina. We spent the afternoon visiting and then sharing in their Super Bowl Party. It was great!! We will try to get back down there at least once more before we head back north.

Jeff and their new son from Ethiopia, Bontu.

Michias, Amanda and Michael's son from Ethiopia.
He has been here in the states a few years.
With Sintayehu, Bontu's brother.

When there are cooks in the kitchen, there is always kids
under foot! Jeff's wife, Becky, is in the pink and her oldest
daughter, Kailyn, in the blue helping out.

Jeff and Becky's daughter, Autumn,
with a grandma from Indiana watching over them.

Kids in picturesw above are here with Illana and Aiden
across from each other there in the middle of the seating.
They belong to Michael and Amanda.

Illana and her new cousin, Sintayehu adopted from Ethiopia.

 And the grown-ups are on the patio. No one is in the pool yet this year.

Center is Michael with his wife, Amanda just to his left.
Amanda's mom,Tina, from Indiana is to Amanda's left.
Tina will stay down here two or three months.
Good way to beat the winter in the north.
Jeff's mom and sister are also visiting from Indiana.

Our boys can catch up on all of their cousins!! Seems we don't visit often enough unless at a funeral. Guess that is what happens as one gets older and the families grow.
We do have a few more things to write about but will do that in separate blogs. So stay tuned. We sure are enjoying the weather here!!