Beginning of a Busy Weekend

Randy & I went to Pickers this morning, as usual, but there is a twist. We met at Anchors Aweigh Campground to begin our annual dulcimer festival. Folks will come from all over the area to camp and play music for the next three days.

Tomorrow there will be jam sessions throughout the day, with a potluck supper capping off the festivities.

Saturday is the big day. In the morning folks will again be jamming, but the afternoon is what everyone looks forward to. That's when Open Stage takes place. Clubs, groups, and individuals will take the stage to showcase their talents. It's a great time with great music and fun. In the evening, our club will provide a dinner of red beans and rice.

Sunday morning we'll host a devotion/hymn sing. This portion of the festival is less heavily attended, unfortunately. Randy & I have found we really enjoy it and wish more folks would come. But, no matter, we enjoy it and it's a nice way to end the festival.

So, you can figure I probably won't be posting until Sunday evening. But, I'll be sure to share lots of pictures. You never know what photo opportunities may arise! :)

Until the next time . . .

Much Better

Although I woke up with a bit of a headache this morning, it faded as the day wore. I am happy to say that as I write this – NO HEADACHE! :) Shhhhhh, don't tell 'cause I don't want it coming back!

I had a great morning playing music with Jam 'N Folks. We played through songs we'll be performing in a couple of weeks. Lots of good music.

On the way home, Pat & I stopped at Punta Clara Kitchen, located in beautiful Point Clear. It was started back in 1952 by Dorothy Pacey as a hobby and is now boasting its third generation of involved family members! Everything is made right there and the concoctions are as varied as they are delicious. They have lots of candy and jellies out for tasting – we could have eaten lunch right there! This is a place I definitely need to stay away from. :)

Then I came home to a clean RV – Randy was busy while I was gone. :)

Randy's out at Pops rehearsal tonight, so I'm enjoying some quiet time. I don't get the RV to myself very often.

Apparently, we looking at some nasty storms coming through late tonight and tomorrow. Shucks, guess we'll have to stay in and take it easy tomorrow. Gosh, I hate when that happens! :)

But, a sure sign Spring is on the way – a boy on his bike. Our grandson, Tommy!

Until the next time . . .

A Rough One

I am SO ready for this humidity to get out of here! After having a headache-free day yesterday, one came slamming back with full force last night as I got ready to go to sleep. Yuck.

And it continued through the night and all day today. So oppressive.

But, I got myself out of the rig and up to Curves as planned. I only did a 30 minute Zumba session, but I did it. That's what counts, right? :)

Came home and grabbed a shower and settled in my recliner for the remainder of the day. I had put on a crockpot full of taco soup first thing this morning, so that was our late lunch. We spent our afternoon watching recorded shows. I even got a little cross stitching in despite the headache.

This evening I pushed myself to go to Bible study. I really, really didn't feel like it, but since we watch a video each week, I hated to get behind. So, I went. I'm glad I did. I always leave with a feeling of being more in tune with what God expects of me. And it's nice to share needs with the other women.

That's it for the last Monday in March. Until the next time . . .

Good Weekend

Friday was another low key day. Just hung around the RV, doing our normal thang. :) In the evening we went to Jim & Susan's for a prayer meeting. This past week has been a week of prayer for the Covenant Church. We had ten people at Jim & Susan's and it was a good night of sharing God's Word and praying together.

Saturday morning dawned humid and overcast. So, of course I woke up with a nasty headache. Ugh. But, I persevered and got the laundry done and out of the way.

Later in the morning, Judy & I took rode up to Michael's so I could look for another cross stitch project. There is something specific I wanted, but unfortunately, Michael's didn't have it. I did find a couple of other things, though! ;) Hobby Lobby is just down the road from Michael's so we decided to stop there just to see if I could find that something I wanted. And I did! YAY! Sorry to be so cryptic about the project, but I don't want to share it until it's done. I don't think Kevin & Samantha read the blog, but just in case . . .

Saturday evening we had Darrell & Judy over for dinner to celebrate Judy's birthday which was on Friday. I served Chicken Pesto Pasta, salad, garlic bread, and lemon meringue pie. Darrell had to come to the rescue to ensure the salad was made because I forgot to pick up a salad kit I'd wanted!! He went to their rig and got some tomato, onions, and celery to make the salad. At least I had the spinach.

Anyway, dinner was success, even if we had a stutter start. :) We even sang “Happy Birthday” to Judy, complete with a candle in the pie! The evening was filled with good conversation with good friends. So grateful to have Darrell & Judy in our lives.

Today we went to church as usual. But, we didn't go out to lunch because Jim & Susan had other plans. So we came on home and made do with what we had. Well, Randy made do by making meat loaf sandwiches. I picked up some fried chicken and mashed potatoes at the grocery store we stopped at after church. :)

Again, we spent the rest of the day in the RV with the A/C on 'cause the humidity is still nasty. Even the breeze is warm! But, we watched some movies and I cross stitched! Can't say it was a bad way to spend the day. :)

Tomorrow, I am back at Curves! I didn't like missing all last week. And I'm gonna be feelin' it, I'm sure.

Hope you had a good weekend. Until the next time . . .

Just Another Day in the Life . . .

Gosh, it's nice to walk normally again! :) I'm so grateful my feet healed so quickly. I'm sure it's because of the good nursing care I got from my fabulous hubby! :)

Randy & I spent the morning playing music with the Pickers. Afterward, we joined several others for lunch at a Chinese buffet. We hadn't been there for awhile, so it tasted sooooo good. Of course, I overate, as usual. Just can't seem to say no to a second trip to the buffet.

After lunch, we stopped at WalMart to pick up prescriptions and a few grocery items.

Once we were home, it was time to veg. I didn't sleep well at all last night. Well, I should say I didn't sleep last night! It was almost 4am before I fell asleep and the alarm went off at 6:30!! Needless to say, I was ready for my recliner by the time we got home.

Randy watched TV upstairs while I caught up on my shows in the living room. I napped little, but not as much as I thought I would. I also continued working on my cross stitch project.

Darrell & Judy stopped by for a chat, which is always a good thing.

This evening we're just watching TV and continuing to work on our relaxation skills. We want to keep them sharp!! :)

And to leave you with a smile, here's what all the divas-in-training are wearing to bed these days!!

Until the next time . . .

Such a Nice Couple of Days

Gosh, this weather is just fabulous! Sunny and 80s – in March! Wow. Randy's even put the A/C on the past few days. It sure is easy to get used to this. ;)

Yesterday was a morning of music. I hobbled out to my ride and found that by mid-morning, I was walking fairly normally.

Yesterday afternoon and today have been spent in a very relaxing mode. I am making great progress on my cross stitch project and I am so excited about it.

Randy & I both are just hangin' out and enjoying life. Not much to write about. And it looks like it's gonna be like that for the next few days. We do have a dulcimer festival coming up the first weekend in April, so I'll have some pictures to share then.

But, I'll keep boring you with our mundane routine until then! :)

Some Changes

Well, I didn't make it to Curves this morning, of course. But, walking is becoming a bit easier, not comfortable, but a little better. Just gotta take it easy.

Since I didn't get the laundry done on Saturday, I got myself over to the laundry room a bit before 8am and had the machines to myself. :) Was all done and back home by 9:30.

Randy and I had a couple of errands to run. Since it was such a beautiful day we asked Darrell & Judy to ride along with us and then we'd get some lunch while we were out. They agreed to come along.

And the changes? Well, the errands we had to run were to drop off a couple of applications for workamping next winter. Yeah. We decided to seek a workamping position for January through April of next year. Some changes in finances have made us a bit tighter than we like to be so workamping seemed to be a great answer to that.

We'd love to be able to workamp here in Lower Alabama so we can still see our friends. But, we're open to other WARM areas, too. We've joined Workamper News which will allow us to see help wanted ads from various campgrounds and they can see our resume. There are a lot of opportunities out there, that's for sure.

We dropped off an application at Gulf State Park down in Gulf Shores. That would be a beautiful place to be for the winter. The other application is for Anchors Aweigh campground in Foley. It is a very nice family-run park. That would be my preference because it is closer to church, our music groups, and the Plantation. But, I'm just praying that God will place us where we can best be used. That's what is most important.

So, those are the changes we're looking at. Not huge, but fairly major for us. Life is never dull! ;)

Until the next time . . .

Hobbling

Not only did I stay off my feet yesterday, I wasn't much better today! We didn't even go to church today because I just couldn't walk well enough to get in the building! Dadgum, these blisters hurt!! But, each day is better than the one before, so I think I'll live. ;)

So, I've spent the last couple of days in my recliner, cross stitching, reading, computering, and watching TV. Okay, okay!! I hear you saying, “So, what's so different about that than any other day”???? :)

The only difference is I was restricted to my chair rather than it being voluntary!

Randy was a busy guy today. He has taken good care of me in addition to his normal chores.

No Curves for me tomorrow. We'll see what else I can get into. :)

Until the next time . . .

A Walking Tour

Each year the Historic Mobile Preservation Society hosts a tour of several historic structures in Mobile. Usually it's homes and churches as it was this year. Randy & I and Dick & Pat took this tour four years ago and absolutely loved. Ever year since I've wanted to do it again, but hadn't taken the opportunity until this year. Darrell & Judy joined us.

This year the tour ran down Government Street which is one of the main thoroughfares in Mobile. It was going to be a beautiful day, so we figured we'd walk the tour. It was just a two mile walk, one way, so that's not bad at all. Right? And it would have been fine, except for the blisters that formed on both of my feet. Darrell and Judy blistered, too. Randy was the smart one who wore real shoes and socks instead of sandals or flip flops.

Note to self: when taking a walking tour, NEVER again wear flip flops!!

Anyway, back to the tour. You can view the homes and churches on the tour here. I have to say I was a bit disappointed in the homes that we toured. The churches were beautiful and two of them were on the tour we had taken previously. We didn't tour two of the homes because the blisters were shouting at us. ;) Two of the homes were townhomes that were just built ten years ago,

so I'm not sure why they were included on the tour.

The homes that were most attractive to me were a former garage built in 1906 that was renovated and now is a gorgeous two-family home

and Blacksher Hall, built in 1901 and is a private home upstairs with the first floor used for events such as weddings and receptions.

Unfortunately, no photography was allowed inside the homes, which again is different from our first tour years ago. All of the pictures I've used here are from the website as they are much better than the ones I took. ;)

The four of us finished our day at California Dreamin', a restaurant whose version of a chef's salad is just fabulous. We were all famished by the time we got there, having walked about three hours. We enjoyed our meal and got ourselves home. All of us were tuckered out and ready for our recliners. :)

Even though the tour was less than impressive, it was a good day with good friends. Randy & I never walk away from time spent with Darrell & Judy that we don't give thanks for this friendship.

Today will be spent off my feet!!!!

Until the next time . . .

A Little Bit of Everything

We had a mixed bag of activities today.

I had to get moving first thing this morning because I needed to get a meal in the crockpot before we left for music.

Randy & I took off about 8:45 for our Pickers music session. As usual, we had a good session of music, playing several Irish tunes, of course. :)

We were both starving when we got home, so lunch was first thing on the agenda. Dinner was smelling really good - I was making a hash brown casserole meal for dinner with Darrell & Judy this evening.

Before that, though, some TV and napping were in order. :) Randy went up to the bedroom to watch shows he'd recorded while I settled into my recliner to watch a couple of my shows. I cross stitched for awhile before my eyelids got droopy. That's when the napping portion of the day happened. :)

About 4:30 we walked over to Darrell & Judy's. Today is their 38th wedding anniversary and they asked us to join them for a chat around the fire and dinner. Since it was their anniversary, I felt the least I could do was provide the main course. Judy added some veggies and we had a tasty meal.

Once the sun started to set, the air grew cool and we moved inside for some more conversation. The four of us definitely don't have trouble coming up with stuff to talk about. Isn't that great?

We'll be spending more time with them tomorrow as we go into Mobile to attend the annual Mobile Historic Homes Tour. Randy & I did this tour three or four years ago with Dick & Pat and really enjoyed it. It should be a good day.

Soooo . . . a little music, a little down time, some good food, and time with good friends. Yeah, it doesn't get much better than that!

And to give you a bit of the Irish, I'll leave you with this picture of our own little leprechaun.

Until the next time . . .

An Addition to Our Family

What can I say? Another beautiful day here in Alabama. We're getting used to this, I'll tell you.

My morning was spent playing music. And when I got home? Randy was just putting the blinds back up from having taken them down to clean them. Again, I say – I am one lucky woman!!

The big news for us is that in August we will be welcoming a little girl to our family! Our son, Kevin and his fiancee, Samantha are expecting their first. Samantha had an ultrasound today and all looks very good. Apparently the little one was rather stubborn and wouldn't turn so they could get a profile shot. But, she cooperated enough for us to know she's a girl.

Gosh, where the heck could she have gotten that attitude from???? Hmmmmmmmmm . . . .

That's it from here! Until the next time . . .

Back in the Routine

I got up way too early for any sane person – about 4:45am. But, the upside of getting up early is I get my prayer and quiet time, without rushing through it. And that's always a good thing. I really like starting my day with God and His Word. It sure makes a difference in my attitude, that's for sure.

Randy's chore list for the day consisted of draining tanks, vacuuming, and his regular tasks. He was still hard at work when I got home. :) I am one lucky woman!

While Randy was working, I put in a half hour at Curves with a Zumba session. Then I dropped off a letter to Reagan at the post office. From there I went to the nail salon for my monthly pampering – mani/pedi, brows and lip waxing. The waxing I sure could do without (well, not according to our son-in-law, Jason!), but I do love my mani/pedis. So relaxing.

When I got home, I stopped in next door to visit with Bob & Pam for a bit. Bob & Pam have been full-time RVers for the past 14 years and finally bought a house here in the park. I'm so excited for them! It's a perfect house for a couple who have been living in 450 square feet for so long. It's not too big, not too small, but just right. They are excited, too. I love seeing friends happy.

This evening I had my Bible study. We're studying Beth Moore's Revelation study. Beth Moore is a tremendous teacher. You can't help but get drawn in. And I find it so timely to be studying Revelation right now. With all that's going on in the world, it sure seems like we may be entering some of the turbulence God spoke of. I'm so glad to know how it all ends – God wins! :)

Hope your week is off to a great start. Please continue to pray for Japan and its people. So tragic.

Until the next time . . .

Another Weekend Wraps Up

We sure have gotten relaxing down to an art! ;) And this great weather is very conducive to sitting and enjoying the sunshine.

Yesterday I did start my morning early as I do most Saturdays – at the laundry room by 6:45am. While I am not thrilled at moving that early, I do like getting my laundry over and done with before everyone else starts jockeying for position. :)

I even brought breakfast home to Randy, in the form of sausage biscuits made by Larry at the clubhouse. I am such a domestic goddess!! :)

The rest of Saturday was spent with the door and windows wide open and sitting in our recliners. I was cross stitching all day and Randy was beside me watching TV.

Darrell & Judy stopped by for a visit. Then, Randy put pork chops on the grill for our dinner. Darrell came back and put their burgers on the grill for their dinner. :) Love sharing with our neighbors!!

Sunday morning came a bit earlier than usual – about an hour earlier!! :) And boy was it dark when I work up at 6:30ish. Then I remembered why; daylight savings time! We had remembered to turn the clocks forward. I personally love DST. My feeling is the more daylight the better. I know there are mixed reviews out there, but in our house, we are fans.

Of course we spent our morning at church and then lunch out with Jim & Susan. Another friend, Robbin, joined us today. As always, we filled our bellies with good food and our hearts with good friends.

It was naptime when we got home. We turned on the TV and promptly fell asleep. Isn't that what Sunday afternoons are for?

Spent about an hour over at the clubhouse this evening at the weekly Ice Cream Social. Got caught up on what's going on in the park. Darrell & Judy walked back to the RV with us and we chatted a bit.

Now, it's time to settle in for the night. Since we got the truck back, we'll be getting into our normal routine tomorrow. I'll be going to Curves (can you believe I've actually missed it????) and Randy's gonna be cleaning.

We'll see what other mischief we can get into as the week goes on. ;)

Continuing to pray for the people of Japan . . .

Yesterday and Today

The weather was not a factor in our laziness yesterday. :) We just didn't feel like doing anything! Usually Thursdays mean music in our house. But, with having no vehicle and feeling lazy, we didn't go to music.

We have fabulous friends and they have been great in offering us rides or, in Dick & Pat's case, their car! But, Randy & I just didn't feel the need to take folks up on their offers. I did use Dick & Pat's car when I had to run a couple errands that couldn't wait, but otherwise? We've been very content at home these past 10 days.

Isn't that one of the perks of retirement? You don't have to be anywhere.

And I have made great progress on my cross stitch project! ;)

Today we went to breakfast at Foley Coffee Shop with Darrell & Judy. Afterward we stopped at WalMart and Camping World. Then, we drove through Silverhill to check out the damage from Wednesday's tornado.

I have never seen tornado damage in person AND this was an area in which people I care about live!! Folks were out in their yards cleaning up. Contractors were hard at work at homes with damage and in yards where trees were uprooted and shrubs torn apart. Thank God the destruction wasn't worse.

This afternoon we got our truck back!! YAY. Randy said yesterday he was starting to go through withdrawal 'cause he was missing his truck so badly. :) It looks perfect; like nothing ever happened. And as Dick, that's the way it's supposed to look! Folks, if you're ever down here in Lower Alabama and need the services of a body shop, we highly recommend Freeman Collision in Foley. Chason, our contact, worked tirelessly at finding the right parts for the truck as well as dealing with the insurance company. We are very pleased not only with the work that was done, but the customer service we received.

We ended our day with an hour of gospel singing at the clubhouse. One of the residents of the park, Odell Smith, is a marvelous vocalist who has used this gift to share his love of Jesus. This is a ministry for him and he does it well. Totally enjoyed it. Darrell & Judy were there, too, and I remarked to Judy that we didn't need church this week 'cause we had just worshiped!

A good couple of days and a good start to the weekend. Until the next time . . .

Wild Weather

Wow. This was a crazy day weather-wise here in Lower Alabama!! We knew we were supposed to get severe thunderstorms, but we got way more than that!

We woke up to overcast skies and knew the rain was on its way. Judy called about 8:30 to let us know their weather radio was warning of some very nasty weather, including possible tornadoes! She said she'd keep us informed as the day wore on. We talked about going to our friends', Ron & Ruth's, house if it got bad.

Well, by 9am, it was on! Judy called to say the weather radio was encouraging people to go to a safe place because there were tornado rotations in the area. You didn't have to tell us twice. The rain hadn't hit yet, but the black clouds told us it wasn't going to be long.

We threw our raincoats on, put Blackie on his leash and off we went. Thankfully, we just had to walk two lots down and we got there just as the skies opened up.

And, boy oh boy, did it rain!! And it thundered. And it lightninged.

For the next two hours, we while away the time with Ron & Ruth, Darrell & Judy and two other couples from the park. It was actually kinda nice.

Wish I'd thought to bring the camera, though, 'cause Ron & Ruth's yard became lakefront property!

About 11am the storm abated to just rain and we all made our way back to our respective homes. We are grateful to Ron & Ruth for their hospitality. God once again provided.

One of the downsides to having satellite TV in an RV is that you don't get local channels. Judy called early this afternoon to let me know that a tornado touched down in Silverhill, the town just 10 miles north of us and where our church is located. It's also where Jim & Susan lives, along with others we know. I immediately began calling around and found out that our friends were okay but there was some home damage and yard damage in town. The worst was one home lost its entire roof. As far as I know, only one person was hurt when his truck was flipped by the tornado. I don't know his condition.

Oh, my. This type of excitement is not the kind I like. I am grateful to God that there wasn't any more destruction. I know that the Mobile/Theodore area was hit kinda hard, too.

We sit here tonight, warm and snug in our RV, thanking God for His protection. This is the kind of weather that is very hazardous to RV living. But, we are safe for now.

Until the next time . . .

And So It’s Over for Another Year

The day didn't get off to a great start. I was rudely awakened about 5:40 this morning with a lousy headache. Ugh. Not the way I like my day to begin. And I had a busy day ahead, too; music in the morning, mammogram in the afternoon and final Mardi Gras activities in the evening.

When the headache hadn't eased by 8am, I knew music was getting scratched from the agenda. I just couldn't do it. And you what? I didn't have to. One of the joys of retirement is not having to do much of anything. I figured I was better off trying to get rid of the headache so I could enjoy the evening festivities.

I did get myself over to the hospital for the mammogram. That's one of those things that must be done – retired or not! :)

Today being Fat Tuesday, we attended the last of this year's Mardi Gras activities; dinner, skits, and the disposing of the King and Queen. And dumb me!! I forgot the camera!!

As usual, Larry fixed us a great meal and his kitchen volunteers did a fabulous job of getting it out to the more than 200 folks who were there. We had meat loaf, mashed potatoes w/gravy, green beans, a roll and dessert. We are fortunate here at Rainbow Plantation to have a great staff who work very hard at ensuring the campers and residents have a good time.

We had a fabulous time, laughing 'til the tears came and then laughing a little more. As folks began to leave, many of us commented on what a great Mardi Gras this was. And it truly was. Lots of folks volunteered their time to put on skits; decorate floats, golf carts, cars, scooters, and themselves; provide musical entertainment; serve food; and clean up.

That's how we roll here at the Plantation. :)

If you find yourself in Lower Alabama near Mardi Gras, be sure to join us. You won't be sorry you did!!

Until the next time . . .

Mardi Gras Fun Continues

Although chilly, the day dawned brightly. A good sign for the park parade scheduled for 11am. Nothing like rain to dampen the spirits on parade day. Get it? Dampen, rain? Yeah, that's as good as I got right now! Well, it's a moot point, no rain today.

Since I hadn't done laundry on Saturday because of the ugly weather, I decided to do it this morning. During the week the laundry room isn't opened until 8am, so I had a leisurely morning computering and watching the news while I had a couple of cups of coffee. About 7:40 I meandered over to the laundry room and found it open! YAY. Got a jump on anyone else and completed the chore in an hour and a half. I was back home by 9am.

We spent the next couple of hours just watching TV while waiting for it to be time for the parade. About 10:45 Darrell & Judy came by to get us to come outside to line up for the parade. We had a long walk – all the way down our drive!

The sun was shining beautifully in a blue sky – perfect for the parade! Lots of our neighbors were lined up, too, just waiting for the color guard to step off.

Right on time the parade started and for the next 10 minutes we caught beads, moon pies, and candy. We waved to the King & Queen and enjoyed the floats, decorated golf carts, silly folks dressed up, and cheered our local volunteer firefighters who always end our parade.

 

Then it was time to get to the clubhouse to grab a seat for lunch. I cashiered again as I had on Friday night and will again tomorrow night. Once again we had a huge crowd – close to 200 folks. I didn't tak another picture because it would have looked like the one I posted Friday. :)

Once again we had music

and the King & Queen made their appearance.

Can you tell we enjoyed our lunch of pulled pork sandwiches, cole slaw, baked beans, potato wedges, and ice cream sandwiches?

Tomorrow night we'll end this year's Mardi Gras celebration with another outstanding dinner, skits, and music. It's gonna be fun!

Weekend Update

Other than going to the clubhouse yesterday morning for breakfast, we never left the RV all day. The weather was so dang U G L Y, we just hunkered down in the RV and vegged. I did get a lot of cross stitching done.

My cross stitch project is a surprise for our new grandbaby who is joining our family in late summer! Kevin and his girlfriend (soon-to-be wife), Samantha, are expecting their first little one. So, Nana is on the job, making a special something just for him/her. YAY.

So, bad weather is good for me in that I got lots accomplished on my project!

This morning we woke to a damp, chilly morning. Pat had offered to drive us to church, which was so kind of her because her church is in the opposite direction of ours! But, this morning she knocked on our door and handed me the keys – she was so sick! I felt so bad for her, but was so grateful for the friendship we have that she just handed us the keys to her car, telling us to take the car. Do we have fabulous friends, or what!

After church we had lunch with Jim & Susan at Magnolia Blossom Cafe. It's another local restaurant that serves a buffet meal. Randy & I had been there before for breakfast, but this was our first time for dinner. It was pretty good. I think I prefer Mama Lou's as they have a few more items on the buffet, but Magnolia Blossom is a couple dollars less expensive, so it evens out.

When we came outside after we ate, the sun was shining in a blue sky! What a nice surprise. :) The air was still a bit chilly, but the sunshine was wonderful.

We spent the afternoon watching an Indiana Jones movie. Well, Randy watched it; I was cross stitching and listening more than watching.

About 4:45, Darrell & Judy came by and the four of us walked to the clubhouse for the weekly ice cream social. Of course, this evening was filled with Mardi Gras skits at which we laughed uproariously – even if they were that funny. Just being there is a good time! We all agreed it doesn't take much to amuse us.

Tomorrow is the park's Mardi Gras parade. That's always fun. Folks decorate golf carts, cars, themselves, etc. You never know what you're going to see. And then, we'll come together at the clubhouse for a lunch of pulled pork sandwiches and fixin's. Yep, we do know how to have a good time!

Mardi Gras Begins

Didn't post yesterday because it was another lazy day. Other than watching TV, cross stitching (me), and computering, neither of us did much. I did go out for a couple of hours to play with The Ramblers at Live Oak Nursing Home. But, that was it.

So, I figured you could live without reading about that excitement. :)

Most of today was spent as being pretty lazy, too. We were just biding our time until the Mardi Gras festivities began.

The wind was wicked so we did put the awning in. Sure don't want it damaged. I've heard too many horror stories about that happening.

Mardi Gras is a big deal here at Rainbow Plantation. We kick off our events with dinner at the clubhouse and the coronation of our King and Queen. This is done with all the fanfare due royalty. :) This year the clubhouse was filled! There were close to 200 people there!

I had the privilege of beginning the evening's event by welcoming everyone and sharing a bit of Mardi Gras history, such as where the colors and throwing of beads came from as well as King cakes.

Once my recitation was over, the King and Queen were presented to the crowd and took their oaths of service.

And then?

Laissez les bon temps rouler!

Dependence

Today is the first day we are going to be without a vehicle for about a week or so. Darrell followed Randy to the shop this morning about 7:30 and then brought Randy home. Thanks, Darrell!

Was up pretty early this morning, but with NO headache. YAY! I took advantage of the extra quiet time and did some Bible study homework and spent some time in prayer. Just needed to my gratitude to God for the way He constantly provides for my family and for His grace and mercy. Was a good way to spend the first hour of my morning. :)

Once Randy was back home, we just enjoyed having nowhere to be. There is an upside to having no vehicle – you have an excuse to drop out of things for a bit. :) I cross stitched for a few hours while we watched TV.

This afternoon I had a practice with the Ramblers, the group with which I've been playing the nursing home gigs. I just found out about this practice late yesterday afternoon. Since I knew I wouldn't have a vehicle, and Bob & Pam weren't going, I called another couple, Larry & Debbie, to ask if they would be able to pick me up. Being the nice folks they are, they said they'd do it.

So I spent a couple of hours playing music this afternoon. We meet at Ray & Elaine's house in Orange Beach. Today's weather was so nice, we set up outside by Wolf Bay. It was fabulous being outside, by the water, playing music. :)

While I was gone, Randy did his normal thing – watching TV and computering. My husband sure is a wild man, isn't he? :) And I wouldn't have him any other way.

Yeah, dependence. It's not always easy to be dependent on others. But, Randy & I are very fortunate to have folks who are willing to help us get from one place to another. That's one of the things I was talking to God about this morning, being grateful for the people He has brought into our lives. We are rich beyond measure.

Until the next time . . .

Okay, Enough!

Third busy day in a row! Enough, already. Isn't retirement supposed to be carefree and loose? :)

As is our usual routine on the first of the month, we went to breakfast then headed to Florida to the bank and WalMart. We started doing our first-of-the-month grocery run in Florida because we found out that Florida does not charge sales tax on food items. While you don't save that much money, every little bit helps.

By the time we got home it was about 2pm and I was ready to drop. I had woken up with a nasty headache and it was not any better, plus I was nauseous. Ugh. But, we still had to put the groceries away and portion out the meat for freezing.

Got the groceries put away and I still had one more project to do before I could sit. I had to put together a couple of packages for mailing. I got them ready and Randy took me to the post office.

Then, I got to sit down. And I've been sitting ever since! And my headache still hasn't gone away. Ugh. But, it will eventually. No biggie.

Tomorrow's the day!! Randy is taking the truck to the shop to finally get the body work done from our interaction with the deer back in January! Yes, finally. It'll be in the shop for about a week. Since we have no rental car coverage, we'll be at the mercy of friends for rides. But, you know what? If we don't go anywhere, that'll be okay, too. We'll survive. :)

Lastly, a shout out to Dr. Seuss – Happy Birthday!!

Until the next time . . .