Playing Tourist

Alicia has been telling Randy and me about “30A” for the last couple of months. Of course, we had no idea what she was talking about. She explained that 30A is a stretch of road on which many scenic beach towns lie and is known for its artsy, unique atmosphere – and we really needed to go.

So, today was that day! The weather forecast was for a beautiful, sunny day so it was the perfect day to play tourist. Alicia was our chauffeur and tour guide.

The first picturesque town we came to was Rosemary Beach. It has a lovely town square in which you can find cafes, boutiques, etc. The architecture you find here is not the typical, “beachy” look; it's reminiscent of a European design. From the town square, we had an easy walk to the beach where lots of folks had decided to enjoy the sunshine and emerald waters that this area is known for.

We also took a walk through one of the neighborhoods and really enjoyed seeing the unique homes found there.

From Rosemary Beach we continued our drive through scenic Alys Beach until we got to Seaside.

Seaside is a very artsy beach community. Upon arriving at its town square, the first thing I noticed were several vintage Airstream trailers lined up along the road. They were cafes!

Alicia told us the first one to set up there several years ago did so because the lease on his storefront space wasn't renewed. So, he set up the Airstream on the side of the road and began selling frozen treats!

The community was not happy about it, but soon the other trailers followed. It's very cool!

Another neat fact about Seaside is that portions of the movie, “The Truman Show,” was filmed there. At that time, Alicia had a kite shop on the beach and Jim Carrey bought kites from her!

One of the neighborhoods in Seaside is Ruskin Place. In addition to the fabulous homes, there are shops in which you can find all kinds of craftsmen as well as a very serene park.

Some of the houses have more of the “beachy” look I expect to find in a beach community, but many also reminded us of Charleston. And there was a fairly new nondenominational chapel as well.

 We really enjoyed walking the neighborhood, admiring the homes, most of which, from the signs hanging on the outside, were owned by out-of-state folks. We saw Texas, Mississippi, Missouri, Louisiana, Georgia, Oklahoma, and even our home state of Maryland!

We had a lovely time exploring this fun area of the panhandle. Alicia was fantastic tour guide. I want to go back next year and check out some of the area we didn't get to explore, like Alys Beach. If you want to know more about these areas, just click on the links in the post.

Tomorrow is our last day of work. Isn't that amazing? Four months gone, just like that! We'll spend the weekend preparing for departure on Tuesday.

Until the next time . . .

One More Week

Randy has begun his getting-ready-to-travel chores so we must be close to hitching up and moving out. Yep, just one more week. This time next week we'll be overnighting in a WalMart in LaGrange, Georgia and visiting with Mike & Gerri.

But, we've got seven more nights before that happens.

Yesterday and today have been work days for both of us. Randy's worked his mornings and I worked the afternoons. The most exciting thing that's happened so far this week is that I got my hair trimmed this evening.

No work for me tomorrow, but I'll go to my last choir rehearsal tomorrow evening. And thus begins “the last ofs” which I've written about before.

Until the next time . . .

A Good Weekend

Friday afternoon Randy dropped Alicia and me off at church and we set out with nine other women for a thirty-hour adventure – attending the Extraordinary Women conference in Pensacola. I have attended Women of Faith conferences, but had never heard of this organization, so I was interested to see the differences between the two.

We arrived at our hotel around 4:15pm, got checked into our rooms and headed right back out to grab some dinner at a Mexican restaurant next door to the hotel. You know it's a lively dinner when you have eleven women at one table! :) We didn't have much time to enjoy a leisurely meal as we needed to get to the civic center for the first session of the conference.

Friday night's session consisted of a very powerful first person dramatization by Joe White about the man who built the cross on which Jesus was crucified. At the end of his session many, many women accepted Jesus' gift of salvation. It was very moving. There were three musical performances, the only who I'd ever heard of was MercyMe. And they were very good – on-your-feet, clapping, good.

Some of our group

Teresa, Alicia & me 

Saturday morning started early; we were supposed to be ready to leave by 7:20. The first session began at 8:30 and it was going to be a long day. Again, I had only heard of one of the speakers, Candace Cameron Bure. She played DJ Tanner on the show, “Full House.” For the day there were five speaker sessions in all. That's a lot! My favorites were Angela Thomas and Lysa TerKeurst. They were very witty, thought-provoking and kept my attention.

The final speakers were Kim & Krickett Carpenter, who inspired the movie, “The Vow.” Unfortunately because they were the last speakers of the day, they did not get my full attention as I was about brain-dead by then. And I wasn't the only one who felt that way. Our group felt like the conference should have ended about an hour earlier than it did. So, I do not want to disparage the Carpenters, as their story is a moving one, but I sure didn't get much out of it.

We left Pensacola about 5pm and headed home, stopping for dinner at Cracker Barrel. We got back to the church a little past 8pm. Randy picked Alicia and me up and we headed back to the park.

All in all, I enjoyed the conference and gained more insight into my walk with Jesus. I was also able to get to know some of the women in the church better. And Alicia and I got to spend time together. Win, win, win all around!

Today has been a typical Sunday for us. Church this morning; lazy afternoon, then church this evening.

Tomorrow begins our last week here in Bonifay. We're both working most days, but hopefully taking Thursday to do a little sightseeing with Andy and Alicia. I'm sure the week is gonna fly by.

Until the next time . . .

Getting Ready for the Weekend

We've had a quiet couple of days. Yesterday Randy worked, but I didn't and really did a whole lot of nothin'. It was a dreary day and I was not motivated – at all. I did get myself out the door in the evening to go to choir.

Because of the rain I didn't get to do the laundry. You may wonder what the rain has to do with getting the laundry done. Well, I'll tell you. :) Our washers and dryers are on an open deck; it's under roof, but no walls. So, the rain would have been an issue.

This morning we woke up to another dreary morning. Ugh! The blahs were upon me. And I just sat in my recliner – no exercise for me this morning. Bad me! The sun finally began to peek out and I had to get moving so I could get to work on time. That commute is a killer, you know! Randy was already in full work mode by the time I got to the office.

We had just a couple of rigs come in off the road. It just gets quieter and quieter as summer approaches.

But, tomorrow afternoon Alicia and I are heading to Pensacola with some other women from church. There's an Extraordinary Women's conference there. We'll be gone until Saturday evening. I haven't been to a Christian women's conference in forever! And I'm really looking forward to it. I don't know most of the speakers listed on the website, but I'm sure they'll be good. Guess I'll find out!

That's it for now. Until the next time . . .

Two Weeks

That's it. That's how long we have until we hitch up the truck and get back on the road. So hard to believe. Back in January, I was thinking how long the four months were going to be and now, it's almost over!

Reflecting on our time here, I've learned a couple of things. Actually, I've been reminded of them. :)

First, sometimes ya gotta take a chance. When we decided last spring to workamp this winter, we had no idea where we'd end up. We tried to find something in Lower Alabama since that's where we'd been spending our winters the last few years; that didn't work out. Then, it looked like we had a job in the RGV in Texas. Nope, didn't happen. I began to wonder if we would find a job at all. Then, we were contacted by the owner of Florida Springs RV in Bonifay, Florida.

HUH? Where the heck is Bonifay, Florida????

Well, Alicia and I talked a couple of times, exchanged a couple of emails and voila! We had a job. Sight unseen; knowing nothing about the area, but it was a position. And that's what we wanted.

Second, God places you where you need to be; sometimes in spite of yourself. :) When we pulled in here in January and saw that Bonifay is a little town with not a lot to offer in the way of “stuff to do,” I wondered what the heck we were going to do in our time off and just how long the four months was going to be. Boy, was I ever wrong!!

There might not be a lot to do in Bonifay, but it's a town that has loved us. Andy & Alicia have treated us like family and we have become more than employer/employee, we are friends. We found a church that is filled with people who love God and His people. And they have embraced us and made us feel like one of their own.

Third, take what God gives you and find the joy in it. Randy & I do that; it's who we are. We are not ones to sit and whine in our circumstances; we find contentment in them, no matter what they are. When we couldn't find a position where we wanted and found ourselves in an area we knew nothing about, in a park that was strange to us, we could have moaned and groaned and just “put up with it.”

But, that's not what we did. We came to Florida Springs RV with anticipation, wondering how this adventure would play out. And I am so glad we did! This has been such a good experience – we've made new friends; introduced old friends to the park; helped in the continuing improvements to the park – and we are grateful for it.

The next two weeks are going to fly by. And it will be with mixed emotions that we leave. We have come to love this park and this area so much that we have already committed to coming back next winter – the first of December, as a matter of fact. But, we are excited to be back on the road, heading to family. The summer and early fall will be filled with time with family and that's always a good thing.

Always thanking God for this life He's given us.

Until the next time . . .

The Weekend

I really don't have much to share – I've worked the past three days, filling in for Alicia yesterday. The park is very quiet this time of year, so it gets a bit boring in the office. But, I've made quite a bit of progress on my cross stitch project, so that's a good thing.

We also spent time watching the weather radar in the Midwest, very concerned about Kevin, Sam, AubreyLynn and Sam's family. It looked like they could get some of those nasty storms. In addition to watching the radar, I was praying for the safety of everyone in that area. Before going to bed, I talked to Kevin and they were staying put in the RV while AubreyLynn was with her grandma about two hours south of them.

About 1:15am (yes, AM!), I get a text from Kevin that Ft. Riley's sirens were going off and they were headed to Sam's folks'. I wasn't thrilled with them driving in the weather, but I checked the radar and it seemed they'd be driving away from the storms. So, again, I went to praying. I did ask him to text me when they arrived. They didn't.

By 9am, we were getting ready to leave for church and I had called Kevin, Sam & Sam's mom, Donna to see if they had arrived safely. I figured they probably had, but you never know and it would be nice to have confirmation. I even took my phone into church, which I never do, in case I got a text or call. (Don't worry, the phone was on vibrate.) About 10am, I got a text from Donna saying Kevin & Sam had arrived sometime during the night; she just didn't hear them come in. She apologized for not responding – she had left her phone in the bedroom and didn't hear it. I just appreciated her getting back to me. And did I hear from Kevin? Yes. At 3:20 this afternoon!!! Ugh. Kids just don't get it sometimes.

But, they are safe and I am grateful for that. So many families haven't gotten that good news this weekend.

Randy & I are joining Andy & Alicia for dinner this afternoon in the clubhouse. Andy's mom and sister are here from Canada and Alicia's family is coming over to see them. They graciously invited us to join them for dinner. Isn't that nice? I love feeling like family!

Our weather is still sunny, but it has gotten humid. Ugh. Don't like the humidity. But, we've got the A/C on and we're comfy. :)

Hope y'all had a good weekend! Until the next time . . .

Summer Plans

As hard as it is to believe, it's time to look at our summer plans. Well, I have to be truthful – I'm always looking at the next itinerary. I just love planning our route, checking out campgrounds, investigating how cheaply we can travel from one place to another. :)

We will take most of the month of May to travel to our ultimate destination of Dover, PA. Our route will take us through LaGrange Georgia for a too-short visit with friends, Mike & Gerri; and Cumming, Georgia to spend a few days with family we haven't seen in too long; then on to Union, Kentucky for a week's visit with friends, Ray & Judy, who we met during our first winter of full-timing. From Kentucky we'll turn eastward and head toward the Atlantic Ocean, stopping just short of getting the RV wet. :) My folks live a couple miles west of the beach. We'll stay with them for several days before making the last leg of trip which ends in Dover, PA.

June & July will be spent in PA. We have some much needed granddaughter time to make up. It has been far too long – since October!! - since we've seen Reagan, and her parents, too, of course. :) We also need to get some time with our grandson, Tommy and his parents.

Then, in late July, we'll be back on the road, heading west to Kansas. We were able to secure a volunteer position at the Corps of Engineers park in Paola, KS for August through October. Paola is just about an hour away from AubreyLynn, so we're going to get lots of time with her. I'm pretty excited about that. She's growing so fast and we've not seen her since October, either.

So, in just three short paragraphs, you have our summer plans. It's gonna be different for us. But, that will be kinda nice.

Until the next time . . .

It’s Been a Nice Few Days

Tomorrow I go back to work. These last three days have been what I needed after such a busy week last week. I've enjoyed not having to jump up for the alarm, being lazy in front of the computer, the lovely weather, and just moving slowly.

But. I'm glad to get back to work. I do love a routine. I'm sure I've told you that before! ;)

And I'll be working the next three days as I'm filling in for Alicia on Saturday while she spends some time with family.

Randy has been working steadily, doing his normal three to four hours each day. He is such a dependable man. I love that about him!

Not much else to share. Life has quieted down and I'm okay with that.

Until the next time . . .

Aaaaahhhhhhhh!

That's how I feel today. I was completely lazy – sleeping until 8:15 this morning! I cannot tell you the last time I slept that late. Now, I didn't got to sleep until about midnight, so that would have something to do with it, too. But, no matter why, it felt good, kinda. I woke up with a bit of a headache! It soon went away, though.

I didn't even exercise this morning. I'm gonna pay for it tomorrow, I'm sure. I haven't exercised since last Thursday. Ugh. It's gonna be tough, but I gotta do it. And I'll survive.

It's been wonderful just hanging out at home, catching up on some TV, watching a movie with Randy, cross stitching and just chillin'. I needed a day like this after going full-tilt all last week.

Tomorrow it's back to the routine. :) And that's okay with me!

Until the next time . . .

It is Finished!

That's what Jesus said as he hung on the cross and gave up His spirit. Yes, He didn't just die – He chose when He died. Because He loved us. And that's why Randy & I celebrate Easter – because Jesus loved us enough to die for us. We serve a risen Savior – praise God!!

We have our last Passion Play performance this evening. It has been an exhausting, exhilarating, and exciting week. In total, we will have done it five times and it just gets better every time. I am so grateful to have found this church. It has been a real gift.

And this is how grandkids do Easter:

Reagan

AubreyLynn, enjoying her first chocolate bunny!

Happy Easter, everyone!!

Only Day Off

Today was the only day “off” I'll have this week. Granted, I'm not working every day, but between work and the Easter program rehearsals and performances, it will more exhausting than working.

But this is the most exciting season of the year for me. Christmas is fun and I love celebrating Jesus' birth, but for me, Easter is IT. It is because of Jesus' death, burial and resurrection that Christians have their faith. Without that, everything else in the Christian faith would fall apart.

So these next few days, while tiring, will be exhilarating, too.

I hope if you see an Easter program being offered in your area, you will take the time to go see it. Your life may never be the same!

Tomorrow's laundry day. Yippee! :)

Until the next time . . .

Another Month Down

We have now been at Florida Springs RV three months. Back in January, we thought the four months we'd be here were going to go so slowly. And January did drag. But, ever since then time has sped by. Hard to believe we are in our last month here.

We ended March with a very busy day yesterday. We have decided to change the way we do our monthly finances. Until this month we have been pretty much an all cash transaction couple. We just found it easier and kept us on budget. Well, our bank has been offering a Visa rewards credit card for a few months now and we have just ignored it because we don't use our credit card much. But, last month we sat down and looked at how the rewards would work and decided to try it out.

I have to admit, I'm a bit anxious about doing this. I was raised by parents who did not use credit cards. And I've always tried to stay away from them, too. But, when we calculated the cash back rewards we could get, we felt we'd be silly not to give it a shot. It just means a different way of managing our finances. Of course, you all know how much I like change! Ugh. But, I also like to be a good steward of the resources God has blessed us with, so we're going for it.

So, while Randy was vacuuming and dusting and doing all his “chores,” I was busy redefining our finances and recordkeeping. Everything will now be charged to this Visa card and it will be paid off at the end of the month. With the system I've set up, it should work well. And we'll make a little money doing it. Hopefully.

I also had to plan our menu for the next couple of weeks so we could go to the grocery yesterday afternoon. That's the upside of using the credit card – we didn't have to wait to go to the bank and get cash to go to the grocery! 'Cause that wasn't gonna be able to happen until Tuesday since the first was a Sunday and we both work on Monday.

After the chores were done, we went to WalMart to get our groceries and monthly prescriptions. Of course, nothing is ever easy and using the new card just proved that. UGH!! When paying for the prescriptions, the card was denied!! I had just activated it Friday and had already used it twice that morning!! I started to call customer service when the fraud people from Bank of America called me. They wanted to be sure it was me using the card since it was a Florida transaction and we “live” in South Dakota. I assured him it was fine, told him we are travelers and will always have transactions in different states. He said he'd make a note of that.

Good. The prescriptions were then purchased without a problem and we went about our grocery shopping. About an hour or so later, we are paying for the groceries and, yes, you know what's coming. The card was denied again! I hit the roof!!

No call from the fraud folks this time – but I got customer service on the phone and let them have it. The guy said that it was their fault (DUH!!) and the previous person had put a $150 override on the card which meant our grocery total was flagged. I was very angry and let the guy know that if this was the way they handled the card, they could have it back. We got it to USE IT! He assured me that it would only happen again if there was a large purchase made. I still wasn't happy with that, but there was nothing I could do about it. Let me tell you I am calling Bank of America on Monday and voicing my opinion on this practice. I understand they are trying to avoid fraud and appreciate the reasoning, but if I want to run the card up to its limit, that's my perogative. And I don't want to deal with the card being denied.

We'll see how this goes. Obviously, if this happens again, we'll be back to cash transactions only again!

The busyness continued today. First thing this morning (and I mean, first thing – 6:15am!) I got a ravioli dinner started in the crockpot. Then, of course, we went to church. We had a delicious, even-if-i-do-say-so-myself, ravioli dinner with salad about noon.

At 1pm I went into work. Alicia usually works Sundays, but she attended a baby shower for her daughter, so I offered to work for her. It was very quiet and I was able to get my Bible study lesson done as well as some computer work. We had three rigs come in and at 6pm I was done.

This evening I had rehearsal for the Easter program. I got home about 8:45. It's 9:37 now and I'm just about ready to hit the bed. Tomorrow will be another busy day – work and rehearsal again.

I know this has been a long post. If you're still reading, thanks! If not, that's okay. I sure understand. Hope you all have a great week!

Until the next time . . .

Not Much

That's what I have to say tonight – not much. And for those of you who know me well, you know that is rare occurrence! :)

We just didn't do anything exciting. I worked all day; Randy worked half a day. And my eyes are very tired tonight. I did a lot of computer work today, I guess that's the reason.

So, I will wish you all a fun weekend and sign off. :)

Until the next time . . .

OOPS!

I didn't write a blog post last night! And I didn't even realize it until this morning when I was reading everyone else's blogs. DUH! I guess my brain was fried from that intense choir rehearsal.

Oh, well. Hope you didn't miss me too much! :)

Yesterday wasn't an outstanding day. It was filled with laundry and other chores. Randy worked. And I went to choir rehearsal. That was it.

Today was a back-to-work day for me. And it started early. By 8:15 am, I had had my devotion time, walked four miles to one of my videos, made a meat loaf and got it in the oven and showered. Whew. I was ready to sit down.

So I did. :) I got some breakfast, settled in my recliner and read blogs and caught up on Facebook. Yeah, that got me ready for work.

That was it for us today. Randy worked for four hours, ensuring the park was free of leaves and other natural debris. I worked my nine hour shift and was busy with lots of paperwork as Andy & Alicia are trusting me with more administrative tasks. And I love it!

We're supposed to get some thunderstorms tomorrow, so we may get a few rigs in to get out of the weather. Sure hope so.

Until the next time . . .

It’s Tuesday . . .

. . . and that means Randy went back to work and I went to Bible study.

But, first, I did get a four mile walk in with one of my Walk at Home videos. Can't tell you enough what a good workout I get from these videos. I've said this so much I think Leslie Sansone needs to hire me as a spokesperson! :)

And we said our good-byes to Darrell & Judy this morning, too. They hitched up and pulled out about 9:30. They had an easy two and a half hour drive back to the Plantation. And thankfully, they arrived safely.

Tomorrow is my Bible study leader, Belinda's, birthday so one of the members, Barbara, texted all of us to bring a card today so we could celebrate at our after-study lunch. Barbara also brought a cake to share. We surprised Belinda at lunch with the cake, cards and “Happy Birthday” song. And I was able to get a picture of us! That’s Belinda seated on the right.

This wonderful group of women have welcomed me to the group with open arms. I have enjoyed getting to know them and studying God's word with them these past couple of months.

When I got home about 1pm, Randy was still hard at work. He finally came home about an hour later. I was very lazy this afternoon, sitting in front of the TV in my recliner, trying to ignore the headache that wouldn't go away. Randy, however, was a worker bee. Even though he'd worked hard outside, he came home and continued to work, doing his “chores.” I am so very grateful for how well he takes care of me and our home!

Hope everyone is having a good week! Until the next time . . .

A Day in the Big City

Well, it's a big city compared to Bonifay. :) Darrell & Judy and Randy & I got ourselves out the door and into our truck a little before 8:30 this morning and headed north to Dothan, AL.

We had a couple of reasons for taking the 50 minute drive. First and foremost was breakfast. Sure, we could go out to breakfast here in Bonifay; there are a couple of restaurants Randy & I have patronized. But, Darrell & Judy are here! So, Cracker Barrel was calling to us. And the nearest CB to us is in Dothan.

Another reason for the drive was to get Randy a new phone as his had finally died. It no longer holds a charge. How terrible! He's only had this phone for five years!! :) So, we needed to get to an AT&T store. And the nearest one? Yep! In Dothan.

We had a very yummy breakfast – is there any other kind at Cracker Barrell? (No comments from you, Deb Kendall!!) After which, we made our way to Best Buy.

WAIT! Best Buy?? That wasn't one of the reasons for the drive to Dothan! Well, we decided to check out cameras while we were in the big city, too. My camera has had issues for awhile and I've been putting off buying a new one. Well, with the tax refund, I didn't need to put it off any longer! And we found a little Fuji point-and-shoot camera with memory card and case for about $130. I'm happy with that. I don't need a fancy camera. I take pictures for us and to share on the blog. That's it.

So, from Best Buy we headed to the AT&T store. It's conveniently located next door to Camping World. Isn't that nice. D & J did go into AT&T with us to do some info gathering for the future, but then they wandered over to Camping World while we bought Randy's new phone. I wish you could have seen the looks on the faces of the AT&T sales associates when they saw the phone Randy was using, a flip Nokia. And then I introduced them to my husband, the dinosaur. :)

We had a very helpful associate who showed Randy his options. All he wanted was a phone that makes and receives calls. That's it. And that's almost what he got. And it was free. He left a happy guy. And that's what I always want, my guy to be happy.

With the phone purchase completed, we walked over to Camping World to meet up with D & J. They were done wandering around, so we just checked out a couple of the Heartland 5^th wheels that were on the lot and then we were ready to head for home.

Once we got back to the park, Darrell & Judy went back to their rig to relax for the afternoon and we settled in at ours. I laid outside in my lounger for an hour or so while Randy checked his email inside.

About 4:15 the four of us gathered at our place for dinner. A pork roast had been cooking in the crockpot all day, so we had that with garlic mashed potatoes and green beans. Judy contributed some delicious cantaloupe to round out the meal.

After dinner, we sat outside chatting and letting dinner settle until the bugs finally drove us inside to our respective homes. Another good day had come to an end.

Tomorrow Darrell & Judy will hitch up and head west back home to Rainbow Plantation. We'll hug each other and say our “see ya laters.” It's been a good visit, as always. We'll be keeping up with each via our blogs, FaceBook, email and phone.

And hopefully in November, we'll be traveling to Savannah & Charleston together. That's the plan. And it's a good one. We're praying we can put it into action. Ya never know what's coming, though!

Life gets back to normal tomorrow. Whatever that is! Until the next time . . .

They’re Here!

Yesterday was a completely lazy day. It was fabulous – the weather, perfect. I sat outside much of the day just enjoying having nothing of importance to do. We had a yummy dinner of Chicken Caesar Florentine with rice about 1pm. And that was the most strenuous thing we did all day. :)

Last night we had a bonfire and outdoor movie here at the park. Randy and I sat by the bonfire, chatting with some other campers for a little while. Once the mosquitoes started using me as a snack, it was time to go inside.

This morning we went to church, as usual. When we got home, we opened up the rig to let all the gorgeous weather in. I found my way back to my lounger outside to soak up more of that weather, while Randy's recliner called to him. I also walked around the park to get some pictures.

Our site

The park has become so pretty since the trees have begun to bud and get their leaves.

We were on countdown to the Pattersons' arrival. They were on their way!

About 1:45pm, I was in the office chatting with Alicia when in walked Judy. They were here!! YAY!

We showed them to their site

and chatted for a bit, then we left them to get settled in. And I went to get dinner started.

Once they were set up, Darrell and Judy came over and we settled outside to visit while dinner cooked.

As usual we had no trouble finding things to talk about. :) We were enjoying being outside so much, we ate dinner outside, too.

All too soon, it was time for me to leave for choir rehearsal. I was so torn. I wanted to stay and visit with D & J, but knew I needed to go to rehearsal. So, off I went.

When I got back a little more than an hour later, D & J made their way back over and soon we headed back out 'cause ice cream was calling to Darrell. The rest of us were quick to answer that call, too. McDonald's was the destination 'cause that's about the best place Bonifay has to offer for ice cream. No Dairy Queen or Bruster's here, unfortunately. But, we did okay for ourselves at Mickey D's.

Tomorrow the four of us are going into the big city of Dothan. :) We'll get some breakfast at CB and then we need to go to AT&T to pick up a new phone for Randy. His has finally died – he's only had it for about five years or more! We might even look for a new point-and-shoot camera. Ours is on its last legs. And since we've gotten our tax refund, why not spend a little of it!

Whatever happens, the four of us will spend lots of time laughing, I'm sure!

Until the next time . . .

Busy, Not Busy, Busy, Not Busy . . .

That pretty much sums up my day. Knowing that we were going to have lots of folks come in today, I decided to get in a bit early. But, I still didn't make it in before the first of the club members arrived! I looked out the window about 9am and there was someone setting up on a site! I quickly called Alicia to see if she knew someone was there and, thankfully, she was in the office when the couple arrived. She was able to check them in and show them their site.

I was afraid they had just picked a site and started setting up! As full as we were going to be by day's end, we couldn't afford any glitches regarding site assignment. :)

So, I got myself dressed and down to the office, so I could relieve Alicia. She needed to get over to the clubhouse to finish readying it for the club's use.

And thus began a very long day. :)

I was busy for the first hour or so, then it quieted down. I was able to catch up on my computer work, which was nice. I don't work again until next Thursday, so I was glad to be up-to-date when I left today. Over the next few hours we had folks slowing coming in. Until about 2:30pm. The remainder of the club folks came in all at once! In the span of about 15 minutes, six or seven rigs came in. Every

And everyone was really great, though. Very patient as I registered each one. Within about 20 minutes, I had gotten everyone registered and Richard and Randy escorted them to their sites. And then?

Absolutely nothing. It was dead. No phone calls, even! And I had four more hours before quittin' time.

On the bright side, I made some progress on my cross stitch project.

Around 5:30, a couple of rigs came in from off the road. And with them, we had just three sites left! We were full, folks!

Finally, it was 6:45 and I could start cashing out. By 7:15, I was locking up and heading home. Whew. That was one long day. But, it's nice to see how full the park is.

Tomorrow neither Randy nor I work. I may not get out of my muumuu all day!

Until the next time . . .

It’s Nice to be Trusted

The morning routine seems to be working pretty good, so far at least. :) I like exercising in the morning so much better than in the evening. It took everything in me to do it then. So I have no excuse now. :)

I was back at work today after having a couple of days off. I worked an all day shift, while Randy worked his morning hours.

We have another group coming in tomorrow so I got in a bit early today to ensure that all the sites assigned were going to work. It never hurts to review! Well, halfway through the day, it didn't matter that I had done that 'cause I had to shuffle site assignments a couple of times as I got reservations for this weekend. Whew! Seemed like each time I reassigned a site, that I had to go through and do it again because we got another reservation! Such a great problem to have! Much better than looking at a bunch of empty sites.

We also had about five reservations for today, but by the time I closed at 7pm, nine more rigs had come in without reservations. Seems like folks are starting their spring moves. And that makes us happy!

And the reason for the post title? Andy & Alicia took off this afternoon for Dothan to run some errands. And it's nice to be trusted to run the office and make decisions in their absence. Richard, the park manager, was there as well. Together we kept things running smoothly. I'm so glad Andy & Alicia have the confidence in us to know that we will take good care of the park in their absence.

Tomorrow is gonna be crazy. About 14 rigs will be coming in, probably close together. But, I'd rather be busy than bored!

Until the next time . . .

The Mundane

Even in the exciting life of full-time RVing, there is the mundane. And today was a day for that.

After sleeping in until 7am (no alarm today!), Randy & I had our coffee and computered a bit, then we ate some breakfast before it was time for Randy to go to work and me to get the laundry started. Thankfully, I only had two loads this week, so it would go fairly quickly. There are only two washers and two dryers here, so every other week when I have three loads, it's more of a pain to do laundry.

In between switching loads, I had my devotional time, talked to Lindsay and my mom. I had a nice talk with my mom, it had been several days since we'd spoken, which is kinda unusual. We got caught up with each other and other members of the family. She and my dad are doing great! I'm so grateful to have both my parents living and doing pretty well for being 78 and 83.

Once the laundry was done, I worked out, walking 3 miles in about 42 minutes. Then, it was time to get dinner ready. I made taco pie, got it in the oven and headed for the shower. :)

Randy got home from work about 12:30, just as I put dinner in the oven. Good timing, darlin'!

We ate dinner about 1pm. Afterward, we just relaxed and watched some TV. I also updated our finances and reconciled the bank statement.

Yes, the mundane is not exciting, but very necessary.

Until the next time . . .

A Fabulous Day

While the day didn't start out so great since I woke up with a fairly nasty headache, it ended up being a great day.

After resting in my recliner for about a half hour and getting some coffee in me, the headache eased off enough to work out. I walked two miles, strength training during the second mile, to one of Leslie Sansone's walking videos. That exercise eased the headache to just a hum. After getting a shower, the headache was gone. YAY!

(Can I just say that I really dislike the fact that exercise usually gets rids of my headaches? Another reason not to exercise snuffed out!!)

Randy left for his morning of work about 9:00am. About 9:45am I was out the door, headed to Bible study.

Bible study was so good, as usual. Our leader, Belinda, does such a great job of fleshing out the principles we need to learn from the Scripture we're studying and she is so open to discussion. I am really enjoying her leadership. Afterward, most of us went to lunch at Pizza Hut and continued enjoying each other's company in a very informal setting. Lots of laughter. :)

From lunch I went to the nail salon for my very overdue mani/pedi. There are very few things that I find as relaxing and soothing as a pedicure. I look forward to it every month! And today was no exception. Aaaaahhhhhh . . .

I got back home about 2:30. Randy was home relaxing in his recliner. I got comfy in my muumuu and headed to my recliner. Randy went up to the bedroom to watch some of his DVR'd shows and I watched some of mine in the living room. And I'm sure both of us caught a little nap, too.

Such a great day – feeding my soul, both spiritually and physically. Yeah, I needed that.

Until the next time . . .

Slacker

Yep, that's me. A slacker. I didn't go into work until 2pm today. I was scheduled for an all-day shift but yesterday I asked Alicia if I could take the morning off. She was kind enough to allow it. I kinda felt bad about asking 'cause she had been working full tilt all weekend, too. But, like she said, when it's your business, you don't really get to “take off.” I certainly appreciate the flexibility she gives me, though. She doesn't have to!

So, instead of pushing to get to work at 10am (Yeah, I know! Poor me.) I could take my time this morning and also fix Randy and me a nice dinner. I had a good devotional time this morning, worked out for about an hour (4 miles, people!), completed my Bible study for tomorrow and caught up on some of my guilty pleasure DVR'd shows. :)

Randy got home from work about 12:30 and we had dinner at 1:00. I made a crockpot dish called Bacon Ranch Chicken. So easy! Added some egg noodles and green beans and we had a yummy dinner.

In addition to Bible study tomorrow, I'm going to have a mani/pedi. LOVE my monthly indulgence. :)

I don't work again until Thursday. And that's the day we have another club coming in. So, it won't be boring.

That's it for now! Until the next time . . .

Finally, Some Time with Paul & Mary

Paul & Mary arrived Friday afternoon and we have not been able to spend more than a few minutes with them! The park has been so busy (which is a good thing!) and I have worked everyday but Tuesday of this week, so just hasn't happened.

Today I decided enough of that. It was gonna happen today. Well, it had to! They are leaving tomorrow!

This morning after Randy & I got back from church, we caught up with Paul & Mary as they were taking a walk around the park. I suggested we put together a lunch with whatever we had and gather at their site around 1:30. They liked that idea, so we had a plan.

And that's what we did. I had planned to make quesadillas today, so that was a good thing to share with Paul & Mary. Mary made a delicious spinach salad and she had strawberries for dessert. Perfect picnic lunch.

We had a lovely time chatting and getting to know one another. We chatted about those RVing friends we had in common – I bet a bunch of your ears were burning!! :) Talked about our lives prior to full-timing. Gosh, did we have lives before this? And just shared stories.

Of course, we had the obligatory picture-taking:

That’s them!

That’s us!

Unfortunately, I had to be at choir rehearsal at 4:30 and time just flew. Before I knew it, 4:00 had come and I needed to get myself ready to go.

It's always that way – when you're getting along great, time just flies by and when you're not? It sure drags. Well, today, for Randy & me, time flew. We so enjoyed getting to know Paul & Mary a bit. It had been a long time coming as we've traveled close to each other in the past, but just couldn't hook up. We look forward to our paths crossing again somewhere down the road.

And for a completely gratuitous grandbaby brag – here's our precious AubreyLynn, who turned seven months old yesterday!

Until the next time . . .

I’m Tired!!

This has been one busy week. I've worked five out of the last six days! I am ready for some down time. Trouble is, that's not gonna happen right away. :) We've got church tomorrow morning and I've got choir rehearsal tomorrow afternoon. Then, I'm back to work Monday. Tuesday is Bible study. So, Wednesday will be the first day I get to do nothing. Well, actually that's not true 'cause I'll have to do laundry.

Okay, enough! I'm getting even more tired just typing all of that!! So, I'm gonna say good night. Hope you all are having a great weekend.

Until the next time . . .

Welcoming More Friends to the Park

I've told Alicia we're going to start charging her commission for all the business we bring in! :) This afternoon Paul & Mary arrived for a few nights' stay. They are the third couple we know who have come to the park because we are here – how nice is that! And this is the first time Randy & I've had the pleasure of meeting Paul & Mary face to face. We've followed each other's blogs, have many mutual RVing friends, and have traveled in the same areas several times, but this is our first meeting.

And what a great meeting it was! We were watching for Paul & Mary's arrival and when we saw them pull in, we walked down to the office to greet them. Hugs all around, of course, and as it is with RVers, we were old friends right away. We introduced them to Andy & Alicia, escorted them to their site and left them to get set up. I had to get to work and Randy had just gotten off work, so there wouldn't be much socializing today. But, they will be here until Monday, so between their basketball games and our working, we'll get some time, I'm sure.

The club rally seems to be going well. And the park is the fullest (most full?) we've ever seen it. There is a street festival going on in town which includes a car show, so we've gotten some business from that, too. And, of course, we always get folks just off the road. It's definitely a good week for the park.

Randy is looking forward to tomorrow because he doesn't work. I'm on an all-day shift – 10am to 7pm. That's gonna be a long day. But, I'm sure I'll survive. :)

Paul & Mary, we're glad you're here!

Until the next time . . .

Unexpectedly Busy

I was not scheduled to work today, but was going to be available if Alicia needed help with the club that was coming in today. We had 10 rigs due in. Randy was scheduled to work his usual three hours this morning.

Well, things changed. :)

I wandered down to the office a little past 10am to check in with Alicia and to see if she had any questions about some notes I had left her. I left the office about four and a half hours later. :) Rigs started arriving and Alicia was trying to do some last minute things to get the clubhouse ready for the club, so I just told her to go on and do what she needed to do and I'd stay in the office.

It really wasn't a hardship. I enjoy greeting the folks as they arrive and it was helping Alicia. And boy, we were busy! Of course, things always go wrong when it's least convenient. The refrigerator in the clubhouse isn't cooling properly; another camper (not with the club) broke a water line so the water was turned off for a bit; and a cable connection on one of the sites wasn't working. We were all going ten different ways at once.

Things finally slowed down around 2:30 and Alicia sent me home. Randy continued to escort guests to their sites until about 5:00.

After such a busy day, the last thing I wanted to do was go grocery shopping. But, it had to be done and I'm working tomorrow and Saturday, so off we went. We got back home about 7:30, put the groceries away, and finally settled down to eat some dinner about 8:15pm.

The good news is I don't have to go to work until 2pm tomorrow, since I worked today Alicia told me to come in the afternoon. Randy works in the morning, but we'll have dinner together before I go in. So, I get a quiet morning and he'll have a quiet afternoon. Sounds like a winner to me!

Don't know about where you are, but we've been having very warm weather. I think it was in the mid 80s today!! We've been running the A/C the past few days. So weird for March.

That's it for now. Until the next time . . .

Whew!

Have you ever felt like you've been shot of a cannon??!?!!! That's how I've felt all day! From the time I opened the office this morning until I just sat down to write this post, I feel like I've been trying to catch up to myself!

It was a busy day at the office, lots of calls and folks coming in off the road. That's a good thing! We're also hosting an RV club this weekend, beginning tomorrow, so there are lots of last minute details for that as well.

And we had a couple coming in after the office closed. I would be off to choir, so Randy was going to greet them as Andy & Alicia were away. When I got home, I found out the couple didn't stay. Unfortunately, they were unhappy with the site they were given and nothing Randy could do/offer would make them happy. I feel badly that we couldn't accommodate them, but we had no FHU sites left to offer them. They were quite annoyed and left mad. It's upsetting because we know that's going to be someone who will bad mouth the park, but Randy did everything he could to help them, but they wouldn't have it.

Whaddya gonna do. Ya can't win 'em all, I guess. Until the next time . . .

Florida Weather

It's a little weird waking up to such dark mornings! I haven't blogged about changing to daylight saving time 'cause it really doesn't bother me like it seems to bother others. The only time it was a pain was when our kids were young and it messed with their sleep patterns. And I didn't understand that, either. But, twice a year, it took them a good week or more to settle in.

Day two of my new schedule went well. :) Since I had to be out the door about 9:45 for Bible Study, I only walked two miles this morning, but they were a fast two miles – just 22 minutes! I also got my devotional time in. So, I'm happy with how the morning schedule is shaping up.

While I was at Bible study, Randy was working hard around the campground. He's the lone ranger, now. :) Cole leaves tomorrow and Forrest leaves Thursday. He's gonna miss those guys. They've really gotten to be buddies.

After Bible Study, the group went out to lunch at Los Rancheros, the Mexican restaurant Randy & I have gone to a couple of times. It is really good food, for a great price. I had the best taco salad today that I've ever had. Yummy. I'm still not hungry and it's 6:40pm!

Tomorrow is a workday for me; just 10am to 5pm. I'm filling in for Alicia as she has some errands to take care of.

Oh, and the weather title? Well, when I left for Bible study, I needed my jacket. When I came out of the building at 11:20, the sun was blazing and it was HOT! Randy had the A/C on when I got home. :) And then this afternoon, we had a short rain shower. Now, the windows are open and it's cooler outside than inside. Interesting.

Until the next time . . .

Busy Day

Waking up a few minutes before the alarm goes off is such a gift! I don't like having the alarm wake me, but it's a necessary evil. When I have to be somewhere, I like to have a couple of hours in the morning to do my routine – coffee, computer, breakfast, and now, exercise. So, I set an alarm. I also like the structure of getting up at the same time every day.

I know. I'm retired. But, I'm still me. And me likes a routine. (We've discussed this before, people!) :)

And I made good use of my time this morning. First thing, I got my coffee and have my devotional time. I have struggled on and off to find a good time for that. And it always comes back to first thing in the morning. So, I'm not gonna fight it anymore. 'Til the next time. :) About halfway through, Randy was up and moving about. He had to go to work today.

At 7am I started my workout. If you haven't tried Leslie Sansone's walking videos, you really should. It is a great workout. You're probably thinking, “Really? A walking video”? But, I'm telling you, it is a booger of a workout. I am soaking wet by the time I'm done. And I've seen more results in the last couple of months of doing this video than I have in the years I've been going to Curves. And you all know how much I tout Curves. I'm even thinking of giving up my Curves membership – that's how much I think of these videos!

Anyway, I digress. An hour later, I was done working out and Randy came back inside. :) He hung outside while I was exercising. It's got to be funny to see the RV from the outside while I'm exercising. I'm sure it's rockin'. (Insert RV rocking jokes here.)

After the workout, I made breakfast. It tasted so good, even better than usual. Hmmmm . . .

Randy went to work about 9am and carried the very full laundry basket down to the laundry for me. I followed not very long after. Over the next couple of hours, in between switching loads of laundry, I practiced the music for the Easter program and completed my Bible study for tomorrow. By 11:30am, the laundry was done and so was I!! :)

But, I had one more chore to do. The dreaded bathroom cleaning. But, it needed to be done and I was moving, so I figured I'd better do it before I sat down. If that happened, it would never get done! So, I did it.

Now, I could relax. By this time, Randy was home, too. We both hit the recliners and zoned on a little TV. We both ate some lunch, too. Around 4pm, I roused myself to go get a shower. I love a good shower – it makes me feel so good.

There's an RV group coming in later this week, so Richard & Andy have been busy getting the clubhouse ready for their use. That's Andy on the ladder.

This evening we attended a casual dinner Andy & Alicia hosted for Forrest & Gail and Cole. They are leaving later this week, slowly heading north to other adventures.

We have really enjoyed getting to know them and look forward to working with them again next winter.

Until the next time . . .

Another Week Begins

When the alarm went off at 6:30 this morning, it was dark out! That was a little weird. Before long, though, the sun was shining. That was very nice. Especially since we're not going to see much of it over the next few days, I'm sorry to say.

We enjoyed worshiping this morning, as usual. Pastor Shelly is doing a series of messages from the Gospel of Matthew. He is a good preacher, making the truths of God's Word come alive for us. We have become very at-home in this church, which is a great feeling. God has certainly been gracious in providing us with another church home. It will make returning in December so much better.

We had a lazy afternoon. The weather turned from sunny to overcast and chillier. I made chicken pot pie for dinner. We've been trying to eat dinner around 1pm lately. I've found it really helps me with my weight management (or lack thereof!) and my blood sugar. Then, around 7pm we'll have something light – a bowl of cereal, hummus, or for Randy, sandwiches. I really like having our meals this way.

I had to be back at church at 4:30 this afternoon for rehearsal for the Easter program. Randy dropped me off so he could have the truck to come back for evening worship. I enjoy attending evening worship because it's a more laid back service and Pastor Shelly gives a short devotional-type message. And it gives us a chance to get to know folks a bit better.

Now, the weather has changed once more. As I write this post, it's raining. I sure hope it eases off during the morning so I can get the laundry done. I am way past needing to do it! I gotta figure out when I'm going to be doing it now that I've got a new work schedule.

I'm gonna also be exercising in the morning now. The days I work, the hours are 10am to 7pm. I'm sure not gonna exercise after 7pm! Yuck. So, it's back to exercising by myself and in the RV. This will be interesting. The video I exercise to is a little less than an hour when I walk all four miles. So, Randy's gonna have to make himself scarce from 7 to 8am each day. And in 450 sq. ft., that's not easy! :) But, I gotta get that exercise in, no matter how much I'd like not to.

Tomorrow night we'll be attending a going-away dinner that Andy & Alicia are hosting for Forrest & Gail and Cole. It's gonna be quiet around come Thursday!

Until the next time . . .

Oh, Well.

Remember when I just told you I wasn't Gumby and I like structure? Yeah, that was just in my last post. Well, God knows how to tweak me and our big sightseeing plans for Friday went right out the window when the rains came.

We had been watching the forecast all week and knew there was a possibility of rain for Friday, but it was supposed to be a slight chance. Right. The rains came in hard so being the wise folks that we are, we decided a day of sightseeing at the beach would need to be postponed. :)

Friday became a lazy, stay-in-the-recliner-in-your-jammies day. We did rouse ourselves enough to go out to dinner with Andy & Alicia, Forrest & Gail, Cole, and Richard. We went Bailey's, a local restaurant in Chipley, the next town over. Randy & I got grilled shrimp. It was okay; I've had better. And we probably won't go back. But, the company was fabulous! We laughed hard, shared stories, and just enjoyed being together away from the park.

We woke to the sun shining beautifully. Such a great way to start the day. Randy had to work this morning, his last Saturday morning as he begins his Monday through Friday schedule next week.

I attended a Women's Ministry event at church. It was great! The team who organized the event did a fabulous job. We began the morning with a light breakfast of muffins, pastries, fruit, coffee and juice. It was presented in a lovely way with flowers on the tables and bright pastel tablecloths. We participated in large groups and three breakout sessions. The subject was Priscilla Shirer's “Seed” project. The objective was to give us a way to study Scripture so that we didn't need a book or a teacher leading us – we could absorb the truths in God's Word for ourselves. Mrs. Shirer is Tony Evans' daughter and obviously inherited her dad’s gift for sharing God’s Word. She is a very compelling speaker. She and her husband founded Going Beyond ministries. The breakout sessions began with a short video of Mrs. Shirer explaining the purpose of that session. I left with a deeper understanding of how to make God's Word come alive for me as well as getting better acquainted with some of the women in the church.

This afternoon was another lazy time. Just enjoying having the windows wide open and my husband by my side. :)

Tomorrow morning we'll go to church and then in the afternoon I'll go back for choir rehearsal. As I shared in the last post, we are getting serious about the Easter program – gotta get that music memorized!

Hope you all are having a great weekend! Until the next time . . .

Change in Schedule

Haven't I mentioned how much I enjoy routine and structure? Well, it seems that I need to learn to be more flexible – what a concept! Gumby, I am not. But, I am much better than I was twenty years ago. :) So, I'm getting there.

Anyway, what I'm getting to is that today I work a full shift; 9am to 6pm. Last week I worked a full day on Friday and thought that was going to be the new schedule. But, tomorrow Andy & Alicia are taking Forrest & Gail and us to “30A,” their old stomping grounds. Apparently, 30A is a known resort area, filled with lots of things to do. Guess we'll find out!

I think “schedule” is going to be a word that I won't be using much over the next few weeks, anyway. With Forrest, Gail and Cole leaving next week, Randy & I are going to be working more hours/days. I think we'll have something of a routine, but it will also depend on the needs of the park and the owners. And that's okay. We're here to work and the work is easy, so we're not going to complain.

It's also going to get quite busy, for me at least. I am participating in the Easter program at church (in the choir) and rehearsals are heating up. Sunday we begin rehearsing twice a week – Sunday afternoons and Wednesday evenings. And I understand that the closer it gets, the more we rehearse, with the week of the performances bringing rehearsals every day.

So, life will be very interesting from now until April 8, Easter Sunday.

Other than tomorrow's outing, I will be attending a women's event Saturday morning at church while Randy works here at the park. Then, of course, Sunday morning will be worship with choir rehearsal Sunday afternoon.

I will share with you how great this workamping gig has turned out, though. When we got here, it seemed like it was going to be a long four months. I was concerned that we would really be missing our friends and church home back in Alabama and time would drag. And while we do miss “home,” God has provided new friends here at the campground and a wonderful church for us here in Bonifay. I truly enjoy my Bible study group and the folks in choir. We have been so lovingly welcomed that it's hard to believe I was ever concerned.

I am grateful for the life I have been given. And I thank God for it every day.

Until the next time . . .

Sunny? Florida

As I write this post, it has been raining steadily, and at times very hard, since early this morning. There's also been thunder and lightning! I'm really not complaining – how could I when the midwest has experienced such devastating weather the last couple of days! So very sad; I have prayed for all involved.

And we did have a few days of nice weather, sunny and warm. We even ran our air conditioning! Imagine, my northern peeps! A/C in late February, early March. Dang.

We worked Wednesday because we switched from Thursday since that was the first of the month and all of you know by now our first-of-the-month routine. :)

Thursday we did our usual thing – breakfast, bank, and grocery. I also did laundry in the afternoon and Randy was busy escorting folks to their sites.

Friday Randy worked in the morning and I worked all day. Yes, all day – from 9am to 6pm. I wanted to do that so I could have Saturday mornings to myself. Plus it would give Alicia a full day away from the office, which she really needs. And it was too bad. I was the busiest I've ever been, for most of the day. The last couple of hours were slow, but I sat and worked on my cross stitch project. Not a bad deal.

Well, having a few hours to myself this morning went down the drain (pun intended) when the rains came. Randy can't work if it's pouring rain outside. Oh, well. Another time.

This afternoon we had Forrest & Gail and Cole over for dinner; baked ziti and spinach salad.

Gail (Forrest was camera-shy)

Cole

Gail was kind enough to provide a homemade carrot cake that was simply scrumptious. And yep. I had a small piece. It was soooo good. I haven't had dessert in months. It'll be interesting to see what my blood sugar number is in the morning! :)

Now we are just sitting back in our recliners while the rain continues to pour and we watch TV. The warm weather is gone for awhile, I think, as the temps have taken a dive. The heater is back on and we're wearing our sweaters.

Tomorrow is church in the morning and a lunch meeting with Andy and Alicia in the afternoon. Hopefully, the rain will subside. If not, we'll be hunkered down in our little abode, staying warm and dry.

Hard to believe February is over and we're already three days into March! Guess it's a good thing when time speeds by; means we're having fun, huh? Until the next time . . .