GARY'S FIRST ART SHOW OF THIS SEASON

 Saturday, January 22nd,  Gary at an Art Show in Avon Park, Florida.  Because it was such a long show, I went along so that I could get some lunch for Gary.  As it turned out he also needed another small table for his display.  So I made a trip around the corner to go to Walmart for a card table.  The Art League that had the show had also planned some entertainment.

This lady does some music for a couple elderly assisted living buildings.  This is what I told our boys that I want when I have to go to assisted living!!  This and Bingo!!  I'll be happy then.

This is just part of the art displays.  Gary is
off to the left of this.

This is only a portion of Gary's finished work.
But all that he carried along for this show.

Some of his work is in Ohio and more is in our motorhome and storage shed here in Wauchula.

The first thing that I did after helping Gary set up was to walk around the rest of the displays inside of the building.  It was too cold to go outside to walk around to check that art out.  I should have worn warmer clothing!!  

I then reported to Gary that another artist's display had a for sale sign of $30. on it.  Turns out that they have to return to New York because of his health issues to be near those doctors.  You have to be where you are most comfortable and most confident.

So I reported back to Gary.  He was in awe that it was only $30. when it consisted of a lot of PVC and burlap background.  So he went right across the room to check it out!!  And he came back $30 lighter!!  They even delivered it to Gary on Sunday after our church.  Of course, Gary helped with his gas.

Now he has a much better and larger display for down here.  He has one in Ohio but never wanted to haul it back and forth.  And this one is much lighter and less bulky than the tables and pegboard that he was using here.  I didn't think to take a picture of it with their art on it.  So you won't see it until Gary uses it his first time.

There was more music entertainment while we visited with our friends who stopped by and while Gary sold a little of his work. 

We were not empressed
with this lady at all.

These guys were pretty good!
We could do some singing
and foot stomping with them.

The guitar player said that he never began playing until he was 48 years old when he bought the guitar.  And he just loves it!  He wishes that he had begun it much earlier in his life!

Amazing how often we learn too little too late!! 

Hopefully we will have some more to share with you in a couple weeks.  Hopefully Spring will soon begin to show itself.  This is more winter than we have seen here since we began coming this far south.  I sure hate having to hibernate!!  Gary gets out quite a little as he has other meetings that he goes to.  So I stay in and read a lot.  I need to get out my scrapbooking, but have not done so.  I'd love to find a scrapbooking group near here.  But I've not been that lucky.  Some day??

Stay tuned!!

BEFORE END OF JANUARY HERE IN WAUCHULA, FLORIDA

We have had to cancel or postpone activities here in the park near the end of January!!!  We heard of one case of Covid and rumors of more, though those might be just colds and upper respiratory infections??  Since those rumors came out we have stayed on our own lot except for laundry.  It's best that way for a week or two.

January 15th, They had a large yard sale here in the park where they sell any donated used goods for the park activity costs.  That was an exceptional fund raiser this year!!  I did not work it, but Gary helped move all of the clubhouse tables to the lawn out front.  They also had to move them back when all was finished.  He sure was complaining of pain after that day!!

January 17th, Gary took another couple guys from here in the park to the Robertson Ranch for a tour.  He forgot to take any pictures so I have to assume they saw the same things as the first tour?? We carry the phones with us all of the time, but forget to activate them!!

January 19th,  before those changes we did have our SKPette's Lunch at Dimitri's Greek Restaurant in Sebring.  But I forgot to get my phone out to take any photos!!  

January 20th, we drove to Port Charlotte for a car service appointment.  While there I made Gary take me to JoAnn's since there is none around us here at Wauchula.  I also stopped at Michael's, but only bought some scrapbooking paper. We had lunch at Olive Garden with gift cards that our son keeps us  supplied with and that was yum!! So it was a Thrifty day except at the garage!!

We stopped and visited with Audrey's niece, Tina, and her kids and grandkids on the way back home.   

Audrey's niece, Tina and
her grandchildren, Aiden
and Mireya

Tina's daughter, Amanda and her daughter, 
Mireya. 

Audrey's niece, Tina with her 
daughter, Amanda

  Those visits are always fun!!  But this time we            missed the other half of Tina's family who live            there because there is one of that family who had       an upper resipratory problem.  So for health safety   we took precautions.   We will go back another day   soon.  

 

But I wanted to share another book illustrated by  another niece, Kaelyn.  She is from the family we   did not get to visit with this trip.  See you next time, Kaelyn!!  Great job!!  

January 18th, before the quarantine here in the park, we did get in a Coffee Hour at a neighbors near us.  It's always a good hour of visiting.  A few people we don't see out and about too often.

Friday, January 21st,  also before the quarartine, Jim the world traveler and well known author who is visiting in our park, had another travelog show for us.  This one was of the Chernobyl tragedy.  What a devastation!! And so many deaths and deformities!!  And tough to understand why Russia is so intent on acquiring that little country again.  I guess it would be the close proximity to other countries!!

We asked Jim if he was not afraid what might happen to him and his health, but he did not show concern for it.  I guess his desire to see it and knowing he is not a young man anymore made it worth taking the risk.  I will not try to explain the pictures much as my memory is not that good.  Just take a gander.

Children's beds

Books go to waste!!

This amusement park was just about ready to
be opened to the public before the tragedy.

Bumper cars

This was an amusement ride similar
to our tilt-a-whirl.

A swimming pool at a children's facility

A basketball court

A stairwell.  Our travelog speaker stepped on
a nail sticking up out of one of the steps 
here, but he shrugged it off.

Telephone booths.

Baby cribs

A destroyed area, nothing living here
except some plant life that has since grown.

This gentleman was the only one monitoring
the equipment before the explosion.

When some questionable activity was reported, it was brushed off/ ignored.  It was soon too late to

do anything about it.  These next two pictures of what is being done now to cover up the contaminated area.  

A building to cover the contaminated area. 
I forget what Jim said it was made of. 
It was moved back over the area and
would be sealed off. 

A gas mask, but I'm not sure at what 
point it was used. 

Jim dressed as was suggested to cover
much of his body. But little did they know 
that he would step on a nail sticking up from
the floor.

There were a few elderly women who refused to move from the area as they did not have anyone else to live with or near.  This area was their whole life!  

I have used so much space with pictures that I will close this Blog.  Gary participated in an Art Show in Avon Park, Florida (not far from Wauchula) last Saturday, but I will tell you about that in my next Blog.  It was a long cold day, 8am to 4 pm.  

Love to you all..... Take care!!

GARY'S DAY TRIP TO TAMPA WITH THE GUYS

Today,  January 17th, Gary is off taking a couple guys from here in the park on a tour of our church friend's large ranch.  So I am trying to keep myself busy with filling a folder of pictures to have printed at Walgreen.  And thought I would do another Blog while I have a minimal amount of pictures for that.  Sometimes I wait too long and then have too many pictures and topics.

It rained a good portion of Sunday the 16th, but not today.  But it sure is windy!! 

Gary works in the park on fixing used picture frames that he buys at yard sales and in Thrift Shops for his drawings.  We have a shed of our own that he uses for most of this work.  But when he needs other tools or used wood, he goes to the park's work shop.  It is so nice that they have this work space.   

The park's work shop.

On the day trip that he planned for a few friends, they went to Tampa to visit an Art Gallery and Museum and a dry docked historical ship.  It was a good and long day trip!!  

The works on display in the Gallery were BEAUTIFUL oil paintings, much the type that Gary likes to draw.  What a Gallery!!  I will show you just a few of those paitings. 

They also checked out a wood carvers display:  

Then on to the SS American Victtory Ship, 

Bob

George, the guide, Skip and Lou

Lou, George the guide, Skip,
Bob, and another Bob coming up the steps.

Lou checking out
the gun.

Gary will have to give me the friend's names for these pictures when 

he gets back home.

But I'll keep on with my plans for the day and update later.  I never  know how my work will turn out  in the Blog, but will just keep on in my ignorance!!  I think that you can still enjoy it.

On Wednesday, January 12th we were in Sebring, Florida for my TOPS meeting and for Gary's podiatrist appointment when Gary got a call from our Ohio Friends from the NEO Park where we

stay with the motothome.  They are in a park in Avon Park, Florida for the winter. So they made plans to meet up for lunch at The Depot Restaurant in Avon Park.  It was a great lunch and a new restaurant for us.  Rodney and Sandy, it was a great visit and we hope to do this again!!  Enough food left over for at least one more meal at home.  Keep in touch.

Rodney and Sandy with Audrey and Gary
We actually had already eaten and the
waitress wouldn't take the picture until
she had the table cleared off.

T

This is one of Gary's most recent drawings.  It is Cape Blanco lighthuse on the Oregon coast.  We worked in this lighthouse in   I wanted him to do it.  So when he found the photo, he did it.  I'm not sure that he did not plan to sell it. But if he wants to he'll have to draw it again!!  This one is mine!!

Hope that you are all enjoying your snow!!  We had a lot of rain yesterday, but it was much needed here.   Take care now and stay healthy!!

BEGINNING NEW YEAR - 2022 in WAUCHULA, FLORIDA

A NEW YEAR and Audrey has a couple jobs that are beinning in the Park.  So let the show begin!!

I am running the Bingo night once a week and now working on the Auditing Commiittee for the Park.  There is not much business over the summer, but the books have to be audited never the less.  So it is catch up time!!  Six of us worked a couple hours the other day and those who can will work again Wednesday thru Friday.

Gary and I have a day/Wednesday for appointments in Sebring, Florida.  So that will be my day off!!  I am not sure that I like this busyness.  I'll find out.  I guess I just want to be retired.  I could not endure all the time that Gary is on the run!!  But that is his choice and his is mostly art related. 

Today we got new neighbors here in the park.  One couple left for parts farther south here in Florida (Everglades) and within a couple hours we have new neighbors.  They will be here two weeks and then have to move to another lot when another new neighbor moves in.  For how long?  We never know.  New people to meet.

It's lunch time now so I will take a few minutes to eat and then will continue with this Blog. 

January 5th was LEO lunch out at Hibachi Bufffet in Sebring.  The park has a lunch, Let's Eat Out once a month and we did have a good turn out.  Hibachi is always a good choice.  And I've made plans for the ladies of the park (SKPettes) to have lunch at a Greek restaurant.  So I am looking forward to that.  I hope that we have a good turn out. 

Gary took a couple of his friends to a Wood Carving Show in Punta Gorda on January 7th which sounded interesting!  He also has made plans to go back to our church friend's ranch with a couple guys since Robert so enjoyed the first tour there. Like I said, he always keeps himself quite busy!!

Also on the 7th our world traveler here in the park did another Travelog here in the park.  He is so interessting!!  This one was about Papau New Guinea. Though Christianity has been introduced there, and accepted by many, it is still a Spirit World.  The face masks and body painting is very prevalent still.  Our speaker/travelor, Jim, enjoys the people reactions, especially the children. Notice their reaction to him also.

Homes they live in, on stilts because
of the high waters at times.

Beautiful colored native birds there.

Mask making is much an art there, as well as their spirit's depiction. 

The children's activities around their homes.

One of their markets where they sell what 
they make and grow in their yards.

Note the tusks on the boars.
They use these for many things,
many which are decorative.  This one
was quite large.

The inside of one room where Jim stayed.

This is another place where Jim stayed.
He said that he did not swim though!!

The women were known for their decorative
weaving and for making jewelry from the 
boar tusks and sea shells.

They used many colors!!

The children learning their songs!!

Many celebrations that the native people have.  I do not remember the details except for the paintings on their bodies.  

The children copying the adult celebrations.

Note the drums that they make and use
in their celebrations.

The ones who have accepted Christianity,
begin to cover their bodies as the 
missionaries teach them.

I think that Jim called these mud masks.

Jim trying on one of their mud masks.

Our speaker, Jim

This was another market, in another
 location visited.  I believe that Jim visited four 
or five different locations that he traveled
to by plane.

Because two of our pastors contracted Covid, we skipped all New Year's celebrations and church

was cancelled the first Sunday of the Year.  The next Sunday only the church service was held, but most people must have watched the service on the Internet as there was only about thirty in attendance.  I would imagine that it will be back to normal next week.  The pastors were now in attendance.  

Christmas decorations are all packed away and we are getting back to normal.  I even got some weeds pulled from the flower beds.  Now I just need them to grow more and to begin blooming more!  Actually the weeds were not as difficult as I thought they would be.

Our youngest son Ben in Minnesota has been quite sick with a head cold and cough.  So he has missed several days of work.  He did get tested for Covid, but was negative.  So we are praising the Lord!!  And he will return to work on Wednesday.

You all take care and stay healthy!!