SOME OF OUR RESORT GROUP ACTIVITIES

 We often find things to do both inside our park and about town.  Many of them include or are about eating!!  No surprise there!!

This is the 34th birthday of our park and there are still some original members who live here.  That is always a great story sharing time! 

Let the stories begin!!

The women of our park are a group called the SKPettes who go out once a month to eat at a local restaurant.  I got to plan those this year.  This day they went on blind faith to Dee's Place in Sebring when I told them that it was a good food location.  When leaving, they agreed that it was good!!  Since the SKPettes try to do this once a month I was happy when they were pleased.  

 There are two other groups who try to eat out once a month.  One is the men who call them selves the ROMEOs , standing for Real Old Men Eating Out.  Then there is a group of combined men and women who call themselves LEOS, standing for "Let's Eat Out".      

That is routine.  Then you add the usual holidays with a meal celebration in the Clubhouse.  Add to that the Hawaiian LUAU and  the Mardi Gras with a dance following each of these.  As sure as I end with these names I'll realize that I missed one!!  But you get the idea.  Most of the dinners in the Clubhouse are planned by a committee with additional covered dishes provided be each home owner.  Once a season there is a Hot Dog Roast, etc.  They usually have a Flag Burning Ceremony each year to properly dispose of worn out flags.  And the list goes on!!

Monthly Coffee Hour at one of our
homeowners lots.

    

A couple visiting the park this season started what he called (Tell Your Story).  "Those were      quite interesting!! I use Gary's picture for this but there were some stories that were quite    unusual including hardship, routine and surprises along the way.   

Also tickets were given to us for a Matinee at the local South Central Florida University in their Alan Jay Wildstein Center for the Performing Arts.  We expected this to be a one time occurrence, but were surprised!! 

The Neil Diamond Experience

Featuring Robert Neary and
The Mystics

Our second surprise was the Edwards twin brothers who portrayed Many No. 1  Las Vegas impersonators.  We enjoyed them all except for the one of Cher.  We decided that we want to get season passes for all of these shows next season when they come on sale in July.  

Another evening we went to a Southern Baptist Church in the area for a Jeff and Sheri Easter show.  It was awesome, as it usually is.  It will be interesting to see if they have special programs next season.  The pastor's wife joined their program to sing a song when she was asked.  She had a great voice also.  Is that just typical of all Pastor's wives??

 

I don't want  you to think that all we hear and do are Entertainment per/say.  We do a lot in our local church just a mile or two up the road from our Resort.  They are very down to earth people and good friends.  This season they have had two new Pastors who are very down to earth and lead us well.  We have great singers in our own congregation as well.   

I hope that you enjoyed all of our interesting entertainment during this season.  Stay tuned as you never know what we might find.    Hope your winter is not too harsh.  

GARY'S ACTIVITIES OUTSIDE OF OUR PARK - -

Like I said before, we do keep busy!

Gary likes to plan outings for the morning Coffee Klatch guys, also known as the guys at The Table of Knowledge.

I won't remember the names of the places, but I have heard comments that Gary sure knocked himself out finding INTERESTING locations.  One of the businesses even gave the guys safety vests and hard hats.  

This was the tour at Fly Wheelers:

 

Tour of the Aviation Area at the Vocational School:

Tour of the Metromont Plant - It was the first tour that plant had done, so they were especially good to the guys.  

That just touches on Gary's activities outside of his Art.  And it keeps him out of my hair!!

It's a good thing today that he came back from his time with other men in our park who gather to carve.  If I had needed him while he was gone, I would have been SOL as I had forgotten or didn't hear where he said he was going or what he was doing.  I guess we both need hearing aids!

So that is just a touch on what he finds to do.  

Everyone is going north, home or leaving to travel more around the country.  So it is getting sparse for people around here and we've had our last meal at the Clubhouse for this season.

Friends of ours who we met here (originally from southwest Ohio) , went on a European tour just after they finished our deck and steps.  Many of those guys went.  Now those same two friends are going soon on a World Tour for 274 days.  We will be sitting their golf cart for them while they are gone to keep it working well.  That sure will not be a hardship for us!  We have at times wished we had one of our own.  But we really only need it when there is laundry to do at the Clubhouse Laundry Room and Gary is off with our car. 

You all take care and keep the warm weather when it gets to you!!

OUR NEW WINTER HOME!!

 Working up to be ready to leave for Ohio in little more than a week.  Unfortunately, Gary just found out today that, if we want ac for the trip, we need to have a new system installed in the Honda.  We thought that getting rid of the motorhome would stop those large repairs every time we make a trip.  Guess not!! So it goes in the garage next Thursday.  

We are accumulating STUFF in our living area to take with us, north to the condo.  It will be wonderful though when we get back to be free and clear!  I have a feeling that we need to sort in the condo as well, to rid ourselves of excess!  How quickly we accumulate!!

I also need to be working on scrapbooking to cut down on all of those supplies.  I've neglected that work for quite some time.  Now the question is where do I keep those supplies, in Florida or Ohio??  You girls in Ohio had better have some SB days set up for the summer.  I also have another friend there who would like to join us for our fun.

Not sure what Gary will be doing with his art while up north.  It is in a Gallery on display here in Avon Park.  It has been there since April 1st and he will pick it up the 21st to get it out of their way for the next artist.  He had a good opening reception the First of April and enjoyed it immensely.

When at a Show in Sebring, Florida, Gary learned that one of his drawing subjects had passed away just two weeks prior to the show.  So he made a decision to give his drawing of Silly Willy and Fluffy to Willy at the show.  It always touches his heart to do this!!    

I don't think that I have shown the new home that we acquired for our Florida Park location.  So will find a few pics to show now.  I will also show pictures of the deck and steps that were added to make it a real home.  Those metal steps could be a leg breaker!

There is an outdoor kitchen which gives
us more fridge and storage space, although
I think that space would be more useful inside!

We do miss the storage that we had in the motorhome!  Amazing to realize the difference. There again, we just need to rid ourselves of STUFF.

The two cabinet doors above the sink are
the only cabinets for dishes!!
However, the fridge is a little larger than
the one in the motorhome, but not much.

The entertainment center is new to us.
The fireplace is electric, of course.
Loveseat to the left and kitchen to the right with
bedroom door and main outside entrance in
between.  

The kitchen cupboard.
Wow!!  It didn't take much to fill it.

This is one of two cabinets over the bed.
So much storage space!  Not!!

Gary's bedroom closet.  Mine is no larger!
So Gary did building a two rack closet frame
for our clothes!!  And it takes up space 
in the Bunk room that Gary uses as a computer
and art room.  No room for bunks!!

A trip to IKEA in Tampa with friends, Tom and Dianne, got us some shelf cabinets and cubes to use as shelves to relieve our need for storage.  

Hind sight is always better.  Oh well!!  It is our winter home.  Good thing we don't need northern winter clothes!! The home is now anchored down to the concrete for the summer storm season.  Ready for us to leave.  I'd like to trust that there will not be hurricanes here!!

 

Our view from our door!!

I did check it out!!

Two of the guys helping.  The neighbor
guys did most of the work!!
I think Gary was in the shed at this time.

Finished, except for stain.
Guess that will wait for Fall.

You can see that we have kept busy this season!!  I'm sure we will find more to do next season.  I for one will have to work on the flower bed.  I ignored it this season for lack of free time with no one in the way.  Except, I did pull a few weeds!

Hope that your weather up north is warming up a bit!!  We will see you soon.