Making Room For Retirement

Just heard yesterday that my Aunt Edith Hyatt died peacefully.  Don't like to start my page off with sad news, but at the same time Aunt Edith lived a wonderful long life and was always such a sweet and happy woman.  I know that she will be enjoying her new life and she joins her husband Albert, (my dad's brother) who died so many years ago - must be about 40 years now.  Rest in peace!  And my prayers go out to her children (my cousins) Dave, Gord and Wanda and their families.  May you find comfort. 

Now on to our life here in Florida.  It seems like such a big jump but in many ways I find some great connections.  Enjoy life while you have it, and that is what we are doing.  

I bowled a great 3 games today - a 150, then a 183 (and yes that is the truth) and a 120.  My average up until today has been 106 - so this was a big jump.  Today was our last game for the season and the bowling banquet is a week Friday.   Should be fun.   

We also have been enjoying our golf, although I haven't seen such dramatic increases (actually, it would be decreases, the lower the score the better) in my game.  I have been getting better, slowly but I stay pretty consistent.  It will be interesting to see what my scores are like when I get home to Ontario.  The ball should go longer at home - we are higher up in the atmosphere - right, yeah right!!!!  

Here are some golfing pics - Alf and I golfing at the Hamptons













and a pic of some of the women who I golf with on Tuesdays, (don't we look like we are ready to go on tour!)








 
and a pic of a foursome we play with on Wednesdays.  Bill and Elaine are great folks and an great example of what being active can do for you.  Bill is 87 years old and
Elaine is a bit younger.  They golf and bowl and do both quite well. 



 

And no we really don't golf a lot .......






really it is true!  







 


Saturday was the Strawberry Festival at the park - the day started off with a poker walk, (we hosted one of the stops) and then there was a shuffleboard tournament  (we didn't play in it because we were serving strawberry shortcake at the clubhouse).  

It had poured rain the day before - buckets of it - but the weather cleared for Saturday. 

There was a raffle draw with lots of great prizes, we won a basket with the makings of a pancake breakfast, 


and a rubber ducky race.  

 










First you have to get all your ducks in a row!  











Blow real hard to make 'em go -  

actually (boy I had a real hard time spelling that word) they used blowers - and voila  




 




Here comes the winner and it wasn't our duck 


 
All and all it was a great day.  








And just in case you are wondering what herons eat for breakfast -

 I have a pic of one of their fav dishes - 

snake - yummy 

one less snake in our park -  yahoo.   

Oh and this was taken from our deck. 

There are lots of interesting ways to get around in our park - you can go on foot, which is what Alf and I do, 

but some folks have golf carts

 







some have three wheelers

and here is one very interesting vehicle that was custom made.  He made it for his wife, who has MS so he can pedal and she can ride and when they get where they are going they have two very comfortable chairs.  

Now just in case you think I haven't been busy - I have been doing a bit of quilting 
here I am playing with my fabric (actually I was tidying up) 


 - and I have painted our main bath - stay tuned for the before and after photos, it is going to be a transformation.  

 Well Alf is back from Walmart with a load of paving blocks, we are making a little garden out back - we were given some prickly cactus and we are going to plant them.  Apparently you just stick the pieces in the ground and they grow.  
My kind of gardening. 







Well ta-ta for now and have yourself a very great day!  Life is too short not to enjoy it!