Making Room For Retirement

Happy New Year!  

Thought I better post an update so you know we survived the arrival of 2013.  

The arrival of the New Year now means Alf is a year older, and for 8 months I can say I am 3 years younger than he is.  

Here he is bringing in the New Year.  Doesn't he look like Peter Pan with his spiffy little green hat?  And those cute little cheeks, makes me want to reach out and tweek them. 
 

 And here I am with my tiara, I checked all the tables but couldn't find one that matched my outfit. 

 After dancing away the evening, we brought in the New Year in traditional fashion, gathered in a large circle singing Auld Lang Syne.  And then I gave this guy a big kiss!














 Now I wasn't idle during the week between Christmas and New Years, I had bought a Craftsy On-Line class and was watching a video about quilting large quilts on a small machine when a idea popped up about making a large quilting table for your machine, without spending the big bucks for a custom fit one.  So I dragged Alf out to Home Depot and bought the materials - it costs me less than $10 to create this.  The previous owner of the house had left a large computer desk and we had already removed the top portion for my sewing desk.  The slide out tray for the keyboard was very sturdy, and when I put my machine on the tray, the bed was the same height as the desk behind.  So I bought a 1X12X48 shelf that I had Alf cut to fit in front and beside and then we clamped it to the pull-out section.  I then cut pieces of foam insulation to fit around the machine and bring it up to the same level.  I was wanting to get the pink or blue stuff like they have at home, but all Home Depot has was the white Styrofoam, which has little white beads that kept shedding.  So I wrapped the whole thing in duct tape.  Hooray for duct tape!  And then covered the whole thing and the desk behind with a piece of thick clear plastic (bought at Jo-Anns)  The plastic makes everything nice and slidey, and the large space makes it sooooo much easier to machine quilt.

 Yesterday, I finished quilting my Christmas lap quilt, just in time to say I had it for the Holiday Season.  

Well, that isn't quite true, it isn't entirely finished, I have to finish the binding, which I will do by hand.  











Today we are going golfing with the Wednesday morning Golf Group.  And just to relieve the minds of those who think we will have nothing to do in Florida, we found out more about the goings on at this park at the New Year's Eve party.  

Monday morning there is the Bowling League, and they are always in need of subs.   
Tuesday morning is the Ladies Golf Group, Wednesday - the couples golf, Thursday the Ladies play shuffleboard, the men play everyday at 1.  

Friday there is a quilting group.  

And there is a dinner/blue grass music at a local restaurant on Tuesday evenings, and another group goes out for dinner on Wednesday nights.  There are Saturday night dances twice a month at the clubhouse.  

I don't think we will be doing all of these activities, but we have no lack of choices.  

We are continuing to be amazed by all the wildlife that appears out our back door, and on the lake, (plus occasional indoor appearance of a gecko now and then) 

I will post some pics in the near future.  But we have seen what we are pretty sure is a bald eagle fishing in the lake.  And we have been told that there are 3 gators in the lake, a couple of little ones plus one that is about 7 feet long.  They stay over on the far side in the swampy sections and don't venture over on this side, but I still wouldn't suggest letting a little dog wander down to the water.

Yesterday, our friends Dave and Janie (our neighbours from the RV park) came over for supper; peppered beef soup made in the slow cooker and home made frozen strawberry yogourt, made with fresh Florida strawberries.   And sligthly well done garlic bread, oops, I should have had Alf toast it on the BBQ.  And a game of phase 10 followed.   I won!   (not that I am bragging or anything) 

Now I know Dave and Janie read this blog, so thanks for a good evening.   

And so long for now!