Life as a Floridian

Life in Florida is a constant learning experience for a Northern girl.  When I moved here, all I saw was beaches in my future, margaritas, Jimmy Buffet songs in my head and ports with cruise ships with red carpets waiting to sail me away to islands I had dreamed of visiting.  Okay, some of it is true, some of the time, and oh, I am not blonde, young or a dreamer just optimistically delusional!

Why wasn’t I told that the afternoon rains you experience vacationing here are nothing compared to the rainfalls living as a resident year round? Why did some friends who have lived in Florida a lot longer than us, Lynn and Bill, suggest we go kayaking with them?  Yep, their idea was to take boats up to some river they frequent. I wanted to say “Hell why take them up to some damn river. We could rent them and just take them down the street. We'll just set ours in the middle of the road and mill around the neighborhood on a kayak and wave hello to the neighbors?” 

Are there beaches in Florida? The last time I went was in March when some friends from up north came down for vacation, their annual vacation! Luckily I had pre-booked a condo where they stayed so I got two days right down by the water too. It is June and haven't been since. The weather hasn't been ideal or I have been busy or any number of reasons but no beachy time. That's supposedly why I am down here!  Rip-off, I want a refund! I wish Cathy and Pam would come back so I could get some more beach time. I am about ready to pay their way!

You know it is damn humid when you take your energetic puppy outside and the only place she will lay is directly under your SUV. I'm not talking just under the bumper but dead under the center of the car, where you can not possibly reach her. This is the spot where you spent 5 minutes begging her to come out from under the vehicle so you can pull the car out and go get some ice cream. How can anyone live in this heat without eating it regularly? I don't intend to find out. Poor little puppy is so afraid of coming out because she doesn't want to risk her paws hitting the ground outside. Those pads will fry quicker than an egg, sizzling like a piece of bacon.  In fact, anyone leashing a dog outside in Florida should be shot.   

I thought I was over hot flashes. Then I moved to Florida and found no one lives here without hot flashes, even the men. This is most definitely true in the summer. By the way, snowbirds, if you have heard the term, are people that live in Florida half of the year. In summer months, they get the hell out of dodge, dodge being their home and hell being Florida!  (Funny huh because Northeners like me flocked down here to get all sweaty on the beach and complain of heat exhaustion in the evening! LOL!) 

So get ready for sweating like never before living here. Hot flashes magnified. I can't help and laugh at those with long hair keeping it down. I know what their neckline looks like underneath, blah!  Either decide to like the not wearing make-up look or prefer the look of rivets of color rolling down your cheeks, chin and neck. Not pretty ladies, the latter,  a much better look is make-up less, as so many find out in time. I call it the Naked Face. It sounds more risque than the au natural and live on the wild side, life is too short.

The ports of calls are nearby for the cruise lines and we have been on a few but the costs are an inhibiting factor. It is easy, from afar, to think it is a tremendous opportunity. Reality is cruises cost money. There are fruit trees down here but no money trees.  I find we don't go on any more than we did when we lived up north except it doesn't entail an overnight stay. Maybe one year I will get brave and be a stowaway or audition for entertainment. Yeah, that'd be good. Now I just have to develop a talent besides banging pans together.     

One of the coolest things about Florida culture is the amount of community outreach work that is done by everyone. When someone comes up with a cause, folks come out of the woodwork to help, time and time again. There are seldom excuses like, “I help with heart disease or St. Jude’s” they just do what they can.  With an attitude of caring about the betterment of society and the world, they are on to something big here. Why can’t the rest of the world carry this spirit? The energy spent whining could be used for creative fixing. 

Floridians like to have fun, they love parties, drinking and excuses to get-together just to be together. Northerners crave alone time.  It is a totally different mindset and hard to get use to when you move here.   Once you understand the logic behind it, the meaning that they feel the joy of life is being together, laughter and experiencing moments in time before we go,  it is hard not to have it rub off on you. Mind you, I still need my down time. I can't do the together-time as much as the true Floridians or the people that have lived here for years but I am working on it. 

Florida is truly a blending of the old with the new. With so many retirees living here and many young people loving to live in the South, it is a culture with change and loaded with tradition much of that from its older population.  You have your story tellers with a deep rich past and young families and youth still forming their stories. What a beautiful thing to be anywhere down here and see the influx and recognize, yes, differences do not mean that folks cannot get along.  At the end of the day, no matter the religion, age, color or political preferences, when the goal is the same, to get along, grow and enjoy the life you are living we can coexist well together in America.  It is really not rocket science.  

It has been fascinating to discover the different characteristics of the beaches here. Each one seems to be unique and yet have some similarities, which is pretty obvious especially on the Gulf Coast verses the Atlantic side. Everyone has their favorite beaches, their favorite amusement parks and hang outs.  It is very much like people, we have our differences,some seem glaring and yet, are they really all that different in the end?  Can't we just enjoy them as we do the beaches and find humor in us all? Floridians are alot like that, they find delight in all the beaches and in all types of folks, no matter how different they are from themselves. 

Florida is not exactly what I envisioned. But it is special, different than other places in the south I have lived.  It has a richness of culture, a playground by the ocean, yes but also a heart that is due to all the Floridians that live here. And I now am a contributing member  and damn proud of it!  When you come down here, be sure to not only soak up the sun but check out how happy the folks are that live here. Take that attitude they have, we have 😀 and take it back with you where you came from. Just maybe we can start a wave of enjoying life abit more in our country. If life's not fun, why live it?

Psyched to Bike

I began, several months ago, bike riding to condition my body more seriously.  Prior to that, it was more about the idea of looking fit and forcing me off of the couch and computer. I felt certain any bike riding would be advantageous to my body.   The idiosyncrasies of riding a bike in a closed community were then discovered.   

  

 My primary focus, initially, was the color of my bike. It wasn’t necessary that it be color coordinated with my clothing, though that would have been ideal.  I did want something that looked more like the Health Magazine ads.  Imagining what I would look like from a side profile if neighbors were to look out their window and capture a glance of me biking down the road on my cool colored bike.  I thought that might spur me on!  I knew I needed motivation.

I settled on a bewitching silver bike, one that is sleek looking with a highlighted pink color. I needed that girly touch too so I looked like the Female Athlete of the Year.  The first time I got on my new bike, though, I felt like anything but! Speaking of butt, I never recalled those seats being so uncomfortable and hard.  I really considered buying padded pants!

Athletes can work through the grit, grind and pain. My legs felt like they were poured in gritty cement and as if weights were on my feet. I was initially sure I would make it through the whole community, heck it was flat!  After the first street on the first few days on the bike, I regretted not having my cell phone with me. I needed to call home for reinforcements, namely a pick up car to tote the damn bike home along with me!

Gradually it got easier but, at the same time, I realized that sweet habit everyone had of waving was an issue. My stability, not being what it was in younger years, required both hands on the handle bars. I was getting odd looks for not waving back at motorists waving at me. I even tried shouting “Hey, how’s it going?” Doing that when you are moving outside on a bike in Florida can get you about 4-6 bugs in the mouth each time you say it! And no response from drivers in air conditioned cars who can’t hear you! It makes it hardly worth the effort to say anything. So I have adjusted and learned to simply slightly lift up my hand ever so slightly from the handle bars or ignore those drivers and make it look like I am one serious rider on a mission!

When the weather is hot, it is impossible to bike in Florida, except at night. That is, unless you want to leave a trail of water behind you everywhere you go from your sweat and tears. The only wind you get is like the kind coming out of the oven when you pull the door open.  Add the feeling of a heat wave when you are pumping your bike pedals about 10 mph or more. Uncomfortable!   So the bike is now equipped, at night, with flashy lights so motorists can see me. But regardless, some drivers don’t like to pull over to the other side of the road to pass me even though there is no one there. They prefer to hang on to the same side of the road I am on.  Why?  These roads are not super wide.  Are they trying to either test my stability or just plain want to hit me?  I see some of the same cars so I am beginning to think I am a nighttime pastime, let’s try to hit bikers tonight!

Florida gets rain out of the blue, one minute it is dry then, whoosh, it pours! And when it does, the water has no place to go so the roads can be pretty soaked and have puddles on them. Too many times, I have been out bike riding and surprise, downpour. Riding as fast as I can back home, everyone and their brother stops me, on route. Their primary comment, “You better hurry and get home so you don’t get as wet.” Note: this is happening while I am getting soaked and have to come to a complete stop to get this advice from several different folks in enclosed cars or golf carts. Genius advice. Now, can I start pedaling again and get home?

The idea of living in a flat area that is secure for biking seems easier than out on the main roads. There is an issue though, lack of changing scenery.  To get my mile count up, I have to circulate the same roads, same houses multiple times. Thus I feel often times, like I am casing out the entire neighborhood. I know all the dogs’ routines for potty time and I see many of the same faces over and over again on the same ride. Each time they feel obligated to wave at me thus I can see a few get annoyed being friendly. Hell, I would too. Should I tell them please ignore me so I don’t have to attempt to take my hand off the steering wheel? It slows me down and I don’t always feel like being friendly either!  I wish they’d swap out their plants on each round thru their neighborhood just to throw me off abit and change the monotony.

As I have built up my legs and body, I can now ride at higher speeds and faster. I can honestly say you won’t see me on the Wide World of Sports competing.  But, I can go further distances and will continue improving. I think I will progress to going outside the community so that walkers don’t feel they are being stalked by me this coming year as my distance is improving.  The joy of me and my silver bike and the fitness I am getting from it are delightful. If you are inclined, find an exercise that works for you and laugh while hitting your goals! If you feel psyched, get a bike!

Get Politically Savvy

I use to think politics were for only smart people.  As I got more interested in it, I realized politics is about understanding and being involved in what is going on in government at the different levels be it city, state or the nation. As American citizens, we have a responsibility to be involved at some degree.

Voting is the main responsibility. However, how can you make an informed vote if you are not educated on the candidates? Simply watching an ad or listening to your friends is not a sound reason to vote for someone. Name recognition is not good logic either. Everyone has heard of the Sandman and yet if he appeared on a ballot, would you endorse him?

It does take abit of homework on a voter’s part. Research is easy, simply get on the internet and google the candidates and read up on their views. Compare and contrast each statement. Also, read their bios and see whom seems to be capable of best representing the people of your area and devoted to meeting the needs of your area. The issues you are struggling with are the needs that matter so definitely make those the priority.

If you feel strongly about an issue or a candidate, get outside your comfort zone and make some noise. Sitting at home complaining does no good. It does not encourage others to vote, to sound alarms or donate money to make a campaign for a good candidate successful. In my District, one man sat in the House Position for 24 years, Michael Bilirakis. His son Gus Michael Bilirakis has been in the seat ever since, 2007.  Consequently, the opponent, Mark Tager is finding it extremely hard to break through as the name recognition is so strong.  Tager has new ideas, fresh blood and creative solutions.

When a representative is in the same position for such a long period of time, it is easy for them to get credit for everything positive that happens whether or not they had anything to do with it. Look behind the photo ops and the media lines to determine, were they instrumental or not? Is their webpage merely tagging on to their party’s successes or are they standing on solid ground with accomplishments that have truly impacted their region?  If this is the case, it is time to vote them out and let someone you feel is competent step in.

Make certain you are pushing everyone to not only register to vote but show up on election day. This is a civic responsibility. There is no excuse not to take the time to pull a few levers. If you live here, you need to make the time just as surely as understanding who you are voting for and what they are standing for and against.  Your opinions matter as much as theirs do!

One Year Anniversary in Florida!

Anniversary of a year in Florida! Hard to believe it has been that long that we have lived here, it seems like yesterday that a decision was made by my husband overnight, we needed a new chapter

and it should include a move. I felt like I came kicking and screaming to some extent but with unbridled anticipation of excitement, afraid I would be disappointed so hanging on to fear of change. This was a reversal of roles in our marriage! And after one year, the rewards were plentiful and the time has been enlightening.

The fear was that with Jim’s retirement and limited income, we would not be busy. Moving to Florida, closer to new sights and an active 55+ community felt like that might invite activity on our calendar.  Leaving behind three grandchildren in Nashville was heart-breaking but also realizing we cannot plan a life around them while we still have our health was vital to our decision.  Their life is not planned around ours, nor should it be.

So with the move has come opportunities to spend Thanksgiving with my cousin Scottie and his wife Levaughn, my Aunt Nancy and my cousin Renee! I still have a few family and friends I have yet to catch up with down here, unbelievable as it sounds!  Janis, Patty and another Renee are on my list!

We have had company come down to stay with us that has been a wonderful opportunity to spend uninterrupted fun time. These trips are vacation trips for others that allow us time to share in their fun so as thankful as they are for free lodging and company we are just as grateful for the priceless moments and sharing of life’s moments!  Truly a treasure and we know, if not living in Florida, guests would not abound!  Everyone seems to love the beach and Disneyworld!

It has not been all fun and smiles. During this year, we have lost our most beloved family member, Charley. We had to say goodbye, in our home here. Watching him quickly deteriorate before our eyes was heart-breaking and the aftermath seemed as bad. We have his ashes in our room, reminders in our yard and home and speak of him still pretty regularly but with smiles once again.

We have seen an election come and ago that has been quite upsetting to us and troubling as we are both on Medicare and are starch Democrats living in a Republican county, for the most part. Being called Libtards and having family subtly support views that affect you directly and are in direct contrast to your Christian morality have been unsettling but seem to have drawn us closer and more prayerful at our church. We have been blessed to have priests that support all sides that show compassion towards people.

I never realized that Florida had so many beaches with such varied personalities? I suppose you have

to live here to truly see the magnitude of it but it is astounding! The parks are plentiful and several have much more than alligators lurking in murky areas including tropical birds walking around freely. Our community has three “mates “of sand cranes.  We still stop and stare whenever we see them, whether driving in a golf cart, walking or riding a bike as it is so odd for us to see large tropical birds walking down the street!

Experiencing tropical storms wasn’t all fun but we were aware this was an issue so were strategic in picking Zephyrhills knowing it was not close enough to the beaches to be affected as much. However, we had no idea, when mail came, people would misspell it so much, mispronounce it and an hour and 15 minutes to the beach in rush hour traffic down here equates to, whelp, it varies….not good!

 

Our home in Tennessee was hard to leave but as a friend, Tammy Ratliff said to me, before moving, only take with you the pieces you love to Florida. She suggested make your home look like the new chapter in your life, all new and Floridian. She was right, being frugal with money is easier in Florida and the new look suits us perfectly here.  Everyone that has seen our new ‘digs’ raves about the look. I am so proud of the outcome, honestly, as I went outside of my comfort zone and went for a totally new color scheme and peaceful easy feeling look that is Florida Tammy!  And the smaller size home doesn’t seem small actually once we were living here either. It is plenty for us and accommodates visitors great. Love the fact it is so much easier to keep clean and I got to competely redecorate with all new colors and new scheme!  The end result, well, I am quite proud and the compliments roll in for someone who is not known for being remotely close to Martha Stewart! 

Our community is full of fun things to do so in a nutshell, hot tubs, pool tables, pool (heated in the winter), new clubhouse that now has coffee bar inside, dance floor, library, newer restaurant opening

inside it in June, all sorts of clubs and activities, on and on….you can’t get bored unless you stay in bed. There are the bunch here into golf, as we sit on a golf course, hence Southport Golf Course Community, lol, but nope, we are not planning on taking it up!  With too many issues the entire time I have been here with both shoulders, not a chance!

Thomas Promise has become part of my non-profit passion, a program helping feed hungry children over the weekend in the county. I not only help pack several days a week, with Jim when he is free, but handle their Twitter account now opting to bypass Breast Cancer work for now. This seems a greater need here. I find it exhilarating and am meeting some wonderful people and making some great connections in local business and government.

Tampa is very cool. Busch Gardens is a regular for us as there are concert series two times a year for season ticket holders and we live only 20 minutes away.  We have seen so many sites in and around Florida but still have items added to our bucket list regularly.  Being close to cruise ship ports is an added benefit for last minute cruise deals, yes we love cruising!

Perhaps a video is in order with pictures of some of the moments we treasure.  The hardest part though has still been being further away from some we treasure and not being able to see the

grandkids on a whim.   We definitely feel detached from their lives but it was beginning to feel that way when we lived in Nashville already.  Many had encouraged us to leave the area and quit looking over our shoulders for more time when less was the norm as the kids got older and the parents busier. We realized, too, as we aged, we are less of a priority to our children that are left.   Jim’s son passed away, my daughter and I have no relationship and my son is immersed in his own life.   He and I had talked so he knew well in advance that we were considering moving and that I also respected the fact I was no longer needed in his life as much and that his schedule was super busy.

Learning which of you have stayed in touch has also been valuable indeed!  We will always find time in our lives for you and be there if you need us as you have been this past year for us during our   

transition.    Know that taking steps towards major change is possible, it’s hard but rewarding.  You will find bumps along the way but inner strength you never knew you had.  In some ways, I felt I left much of what I had behind. In hindsight, perhaps there wasn’t as much there as I thought and I have found more anew.  May you always find, with each new page of your life, you will discover that too!

                                  

                                                 Pictures of a Year in Review

Florida Agrees with Me, Still

I am finding living in Florida quite agrees with me. I am still lost once I leave our community pretty

easily and would be SOL without a GPS and a cell phone. But luckily, with Jim retired, most of the

time, we are together. And yes, we actually find we do get along, better now than ever. Without the

stress of a job, life seems easier to take. And so, here are some updates on our life in the land of palm trees and a much closer drive to the beach!

Jim has been a part of a horseshoe team. He and the guys bond over twice a week practices and then competing with other communities in the area once a week. He started off feeling inadequate as some of these men are quite good!  One of them has won huge prize winnings over the years at nationwide competitions.  His name is Daniel Jack. The way we remember his name is it sounds like a drink, Jack Daniels, Tennessee Whiskey.  He is French and speaks with quite an accent, at times hard to understand.  He has taken a liking to my husband as if Jim is under his wing in the area of horseshoes. Jim says it is because he is so poor at it! But, he is getting much better, the more he plays!

I have gone up before, on an off day, when Jim has been practicing and, as luck would have it, Daniel is there to give Jim advice. At first it made him quite nervous. Did I mention Daniel has been known to throw 298 out of 300 ringers? Well, that didn’t happen the day he was paired with Jim! But Jim played his best 8 games ever so now apparently the advice is paying dividends!  Maybe one day Jim will go on the national circuit and you will hear of him in the news for horseshoe champ! (Don’t bet on it just yet!)

I have been busy volunteering at Thomas Promise. This is a program that packs lunch packs for the needy children in the area to take home on Fridays to help get them thru the weekend. I go up on Mon. and Tues. mornings with a group of women and men to work on this and thoroughly enjoy being a part of this project that started about 4 years ago. If it sounds easy, about the time I go home, I feel like I need a nap! I have never seen so many Ramen noodles, spaghetti o’s, oatmeal packages and cracker snack packs in my life. They get several things, some volunteered and some have to be bought. I wish more folks understood the need for these types of programs.  Some of the schools in this county aren’t served due to lack of funds and space.  But I feel pretty blessed to be able to do my part.

We still manage fun times for just us. One of the beaches we hit one afternoon we had packed lunches to eat.  Our plan was to just sit out and soak up the sun and read. A seagull swoops down and while the sandwich is in Jim’s mouth it literally pulls it out of Jim’s mouth. Another one comes from the other side of his head, honking and screeching at the other bird, extremely agitated because he thought he had eyed the sandwich first. The sandwich hit the ground as did my chair when I bounded out of it flying towards the water screaming. All I could think of was the movie The Birds and running for cover.

Now I have learned, since that day, seagulls, that I use to enjoy on the beach on leisurely trips to Florida, are a pain. Anytime they see food, they want to become your BFF and hang onto you like a

vulture does to roadkill and you literally can’t shake them off. You can wave things at them, and they keep coming back. We eat on shifts, one to flag them away while the other eats, or stay covered. 

I cannot believe our orange tree is showing signs of producing orange oranges, verses green ones! 

They had been green fruit that turned to blackish and fell off up to now. It has proven to both of us

that we were not green thumbs at anything.  We actually have had a few, meaning 2. But it is a start so I am overjoyed! I feel like a fruit tree grower. Don’t burst my bubble; it has taken me 10 months to get here!

In remembrance of our dear Charley, we have a statue out front in our landscaping of him. We don’t

see it, obviously, when we are in the house, but when we come home from anywhere or walk, we spot it. It is welcoming to see the reminder and sad at the same time, that he won’t be inside the door wagging his tail. We needed to let him know that our home is not our home without him guarding it. Our neighbors, even though it is somewhat hidden on the side of a bush, have all commented on Charley out there which warms our hearts that they care and miss him too.

We found ourselves finally at Busch Gardens and bought our annual pass so we will be going frequently, time permitting. It is so much nicer than we thought it would be. I have never been a bird person but the ones there are unreal, types I have never seen, exotic, some making weird noises, colorful, and you’re able to see some birds without cages. 

There were many of other activities, shows, animals too. All the roller coasters were just not going to

go well with my migraine that day.  I can't imagine flipping upside down with a throbbing head pain! We are  going to love being close to the Park with free entry now. Already too, first time in, we got over the experience of getting separated and lost. He calling me, me texting him, missing where we were suppose to meet up, its my fault not describing it well enough, his fault for not being there at the right time, etc and you both land up mad over a half hour or more later! You know the drill, don't say you don't!By the time you do, neither is talking to the other! And then, you land up laughing about it!

Florida is sunny so much of the time that it makes it impossible to go around with a frown on. The weather simply won’t let you do that. So regardless of what is going on, health wise or otherwise, we find the palm trees keep us looking up, the ocean waves keep us looking outward and the warm weather keeps us moving forward with happiness.

Florida Is Becoming Home

I found ice cream paradise and had to do, a few weeks back, without our usual weekly protocol the

dollar cone night at the local Tasty Cone stand. I kind of missed all the regulars and teens working there. It is a fun bunch, not to mention the best custard at the best price!  

   

But, much to my delight, in St. Pete’s city we found a quaint shop that has homemade fudge, candy, cotton candy and ice cream flavors that change weekly. Advertised as a special that day was Peanut Butter Pie ice cream calling my name. So in we went me without hesitation. Was it as good as it sounded? Hell yeah! I tried to get Jim to try Mackinaw Island Fudge & Vanilla Cream Ice Cream but he thought that was too rich. Too scared to go outside his comfort zone, that far anyways, he did get some bizarre mix.

Shopping in Florida in the summer minus air conditioning is insanity. Only vacationers do this. You can tell by the sweat streaming down their face as they pretend to enjoy this.  Now I am beginning to realize I am a Floridian and no longer have to pretend that part is fun. If I go in a store and it isn’t working my ass is out the door. They could be giving stuff away and I still leave.

Oh did I mention our community has a hot tub? Here is the real kicker, people use it! Yep, I have

gone in it one time, at night. But dang is that hot! I don’t know who sets the controls but I bet if you

didn’t have a suit on your underneath sections will be boiling red! My grandson came down for a visit

and if I didn’t know any better I would have thought his slight burn spots on his little torso area about his waistband were from that. He insisted on walking in there and just went down one step till I made him get out. That was his only portion that hit the water uncovered. Even that little tough guy said “Grandma that is too hot for me!”

 

Chihuly Gallery

Back to our trip to St. Petersburg area, it had beautiful beach!  The town is what I call artsy fartsy.  And pricey for sure. I would never stay in that area, too many other places to stay cheaper and you can simply drive up there for the day. But wow, so much art to see that is so unique. I am still am in awe of how many different directions we can go to experience so many varied things where we live. And people told us we would hate living in Florida. When does that happen?

St. Petersburg, FL

When our grandson Jake came down, his main fascination was the golf cart. Jim had to take it out several times a day and take scenic routes around the community. Even neighbors were taking Jake

on rides. He would flag them down and make them. He can be quite bossy and left them no choice.

How do you say no to a cute face that kinda looks like a big ole tear will trickle down his face if you say no. 

My granddaughter wanted to go to the ocean while she was here. However, going into the water was

not her top priority at all anymore.  She wanted me to insure her there were no sharks in the area we were in and that none would come near. And then, she would only go in for a second and tell me, while we were out there, she was certain they were going to come around us and encircle us in a big pool of blood and then eat us up by attacking us and eating off our limbs. Such a pleasant thought she had me following her inshore, rather quickly. 

Any of you that are Catholic and wondering where all the American priests are, come on down! We found them, they are all in Florida! No longer are Carole Robinson we listening to priests with foreign accents we can’t understand! Yep, we have three where we attend and every single one we can understand. What a blessing from God!

And we have found a wonderful place to shop I have mentioned before except one little tidbit that is so cool. Apparently turtles, we have learned,  are a sign of good luck. Why:  Because they can only go forward, never backward. Thus every time we shop there we are given one at this one chain. 

Thus, if you visit us, we are getting quite the collection. Be sure you leave with one of ours. If you don’t, know that in our hearts, we wish you a lifetime of only forward progress!

Summertime Moments

Summer flies by but certain times will always stand out like the moments with grandkids. 

This past week was one of those moments for my husband and I. No matter how old you get, children bring out the child in you, the love of life and the nurturing and parenting skills you long forgot.

After having moved to Florida in April, one of the hardest parts of the move was being away from our three grandchildren in Nashville.  We vowed to make certain to stay in touch and knew a piece of them is always with us, no matter where we are, where we go and even in our death, they will remain within our spiritual journey.

But it was with great joy we had the opportunity to have them in our new home, one of them for a week and the other one, for a brief stay.  Funny how the bond is so strong with

them that, once together, it is as if there is no passage of time when we are together. So our time together was full of the usual hubbub, laughter, singing, fighting when the two were together, mischief, calls home when something seemed array, sunburn with one when two spots on the back apparently didn’t get enough suntan coverage even with him only being out in the sun an hour! 

But it goes without saying, with children there is never a dull moment! Even Charley ventured more than ever outside of the walk-in closet. Most of the time they were here, he was everywhere they were. Trains had to be put in rooms with doors closed so his 99 lbs. wasn’t stepping on tracks. The golf cart was on the road more than the entire time we have lived here and the pool was used more by my granddaughter than by us.

One night my grandson popped in our room in the middle of the night and poked me. I asked him what was wrong and he said nothing. I asked what he wanted and he simply said I love you, can I sleep with you. How does a grandma say no?  In he slipped. So naturally on the last night here, when my granddaughter asked if she could sleep with me and grandpa elsewhere I informed, not asked grandpa, your pillows have to go to another room in the house.  And she snuggled in.

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Well, it is hard to do justice to a visit full of love and show that the circle of love is complete. The entire time my granddaughter was here she seldom referred to her dad as daddy but instead “your son’ but a video follows with an attempt to show the highlights.

May it resonate with you the importance of grabbing little moments with young people. May it show you that it is not what you do with kids that matter but that you do something. Attention is prized time to children and let’s be honest; it is the only legacy we can truly leave behind, the memories.    CLICK HERE

My New Life in Florida Update

Hot in Florida means  hotter than hell! But living here is anything but hell! Infact, it is downright fun and at times, pretty darn funny!

We made our way to Withlacoochee State Park, named after Indians.  It is named after the river that flows through it.  It is beautiful and located in Dades City, not that far a drive from us. On the route there, we had to pass the largest dump I have ever seen in my life. This dump literally seemed to stretch for miles, like the size of a large amusement park, except there was nothing amusing about a place emitting the worst odor 

There was a farm across the street with cows loitering in the fields. I couldn’t help but notice none, not a one, was remotely close to the fence near the road.  I told my husband even the stinky cows could not stand the stench! Now that is when you know how bad the odor was. I literally drove holding my nose. And if you think that was easy, did I mention the roads were not paved? Nope, it was all dirt roads and they were not smooth so it seemed at times, like driving on ice. Luckily I was apparently the only one, the fool, out on that road!

We arrived at the park and the joy was going to be seeing the Indian village. We thought it would be a blast for the grandkids so we first drove around and scoped out the park

looking for Indian Village signs. None existed so we assumed, they must be on the trail hikes.  Okay, we can handle that.  Parking the car we went on the first one. Off we trotted with excitement and ready for a sense of wonder. We made it to the end of the trail no village.   Wouldn’t you know we would pick the wrong trail and walk the entire path? 

We had two choices, leave in defeat or stay victorious and walk the other longer nature trail. So, like the troupers we are we painted on our smiles.  We can do this, we told each other, and off we went, only not

as fast this time steps more labored and breathing.  Okay, we got to the end, no Indians, no village, and the walk back was long, quiet and blistering hot.  We pulled out saying who wants to see a damn Indian village anyways!

Two days later, we got wind of the first tropical storm coming to Tampa bay area.  How exciting to us, never to have come remotely close to one.  Everyone seemed concerned but we were kinda pumped, wow a real tropical storm. The only thing bothering us was the wussy name, Colin. For our first one why couldn’t it be fiercer a name like Charge, Crush, or Creature.  Wow, was it something to see! It didn’t come as hard as they said but every two hours or so, like clockwork, it rained for two days!  And then an hour of complete silence.  I couldn’t sleep, I had to sit up and listen and watch. We had a toast, our first big storm, toasting many more!

I think one of our neighbors isn’t all that crazy about our lab Charley. She rolls past in her wheelchair and our dog thinks it is a bike, and he does not like  bikes.  So he begins his fierce sounding bark.  She seems to think he wants to tear her apart like a pit-bull. Mind you, we have told her first, he is old and second, can’t even chew hard bones anymore. Lastly,  he only likes to eat males.    

Well, the other night, again, she rolls by as we are sitting out front on our driveway by our garage.  This time, she would not roll quietly by.  She likes to talk, and talk, and talk.  But she is a sweetheart. I wish Charley would give her a chance to speak and not drown her out with his incessant barking.  So, in no time, as she is talking he starts up.

 Now, one of the first things she says is to ask us if he ever shuts up. We explain that most of his day is spent in the walk in closet sleeping so we need to get him outside some. As Charley goes back and forth between lying down quietly during the conversation and picking back up where he left off with his barkfest she starts getting more annoyed. She then says the one thing that makes our neck hairs stand on edge.  She wants to know if we have a muzzle and if we would consider putting it on him.   Now Jim joined in with the barking, right in sync with Charley.

Charley has a rough time with his legs still. Since they are still causing him issues getting up, he is still receiving acupuncture to help. It must be pointed out, the only time he seems to not have any problem at all is at feeding time, walk time and when he is supposed to lay for acupuncture.  We spend the entire time talking to him, taking turns with who gets the joy of sitting in a tiny padded room trying to tell him he is sleepy, do not go to the dark side and please cooperate. 

This time the dreaded happened. There was a dog fight in the waiting room! Do you know what it is like to hold back a 105 lb dog and keep him lying still when two dogs are

growling and barking at each other and adults are yelling right outside the door he is in?  Well, I screamed louder than them, JIM HELP ME!  In came my husband, and he body slammed him to the floor, well not exactly but he did manage to get him down.  Charley was hooked to electrodes this time so needed to be still so as not to shake out the wires.  And there we sat, two grown adults on the floor holding him down, trying to not make eye contact because every time we did, we cracked up laughing.

When the vet came in, which seemed like eternity and back, she said “Oh Charley you were such a good boy this time.”  She says that every time and we both think we would pay double if she would sit in with him just one time to see what we go through.  As she was moving needles from his body, he got pretty frisky. Then she broke her past protocol and gave us her reality check, the words we wondered if we would ever hear from this new vet, the words we have heard so many times before,

“Charley you are a wild boy.  You are the wildest dog I have ever met. Even old, you act just like a puppy, I have never met a lab like you ever in my years of practicing.”

 Join Charley’s fan club, no fees needed.   

Charley is at home in Florida now.  

Florida Life & Times Continuation, as seen by Northerners

We did not pick one community to live in here in Florida because we learned there were alligators in the waters around it. Seriously, we are from the north and the thought of alligators lurking around is not something we find inviting. Who wants a lab that sometimes gets loose and loves water, diving in water where a gator hangs out in?

Our bubble dream was crushed last week. We learned, at the Wings Party, that there is, in fact an 8 foot alligator in the large pond on our property here where we live!  Oh, our neighbors in this neighborhood told us not to worry; it is not worrisome, so far anyways. It hasn’t bothered anyone, yet. See that little word on the end of the sentence, that word, yet, bothers me. The pond sits along the golf course. The golfers said they are cautious swooping in to get their balls. I suppose so, or they might lose more than their balls!  Suffice it to say, we are not talking Charley, or ourselves on any walks around said pond!

Speaking of creatures, coyotes seem to find this area cozy or something. We have no idea why but we have even been told they visit the doggie park. Given that fact, it seems strange that people with little dogs, knowing that, would let their dogs off their lead but Charley remains on lead regardless.  Between the gator and the coyotes, I see no rule change here for him!

Speaking of unusual sites at the doggie park, imagine our impulse to laugh when we see folks in the golf cart walking their talk there. Yes, adults sitting in a golf cart, riding it, with a dog on a leash walking next to it. Something seems odd with this picture to us, but maybe we have been living in the north too long.

While standing in my backyard the other day, I discovered my ingenious invention for my flower beds I made for my bedroom windows were not so spectacular after all.  There is a ledge on the bedroom window that was causing the baskets to dip forward. Nothing seemed to work to get those darn baskets to stay upright correctly so I kept trying different kind of weighty objects and finally found something that worked!  However, when a neighbor was over talking to me in the backyard, she discovered that I have Campbell Soup cans in the windows of my bedroom!  Yep, that is holding up my plants from behind and are plainly visible!  Now you know my secret, my soup preference and I am going to have to scramble for another solution or just let it go. Jim says at least this way folks know if they need to borrow soup, they know where to go.

You’re supposed to like your neighbors and I try to. But there is one down the road who’s orange tree is voluptuous and seductive and that is annoying the hell out of me! Here I am, watering diligently our abnormally shaped orange tree and her’s has perfectly shaped big balled oranges, colored orange, not miniature pool balls that look like limes.  I want to know the secret!

This past week we learned of the Nazi Yard Inspectors. We had no idea what the heck was going on but saw, all the sudden, a flurry of activity on the street. Half the neighbors we had never met were all outdoors doing yardwork. There was dust flying everywhere, bags of mulch piled so high you couldn’t see who was behind them.  It looked like, driving down our street, half of the Lowe’s Garden Center was bought by our street alone!  Then, drum roll, we were told, Yard Inspection Time is due.

Never having gone through this, and honestly not having been forewarned, we were clueless, like two naked babes in the woods.  We   quickly were filled in and realized our yard had to be in tip top shape, well-manicured and look pristine and stylish or we would be receiving a nasty warning letter from the owners of the community. What the repercussions were, since they were new owners, no one wanted to find out.  

That was enough for us to know that we decided to revamp our plans and switch from painting and inside work to mulching. Thus,  off Jim went to buy bag after bag of mulch and refocus on more yard work as quickly as everyone else was doing theirs.  We quickly learned just how wonderful it is to do yardwork in Florida. Even in Zephyrhills, where there is a breeze, it is as hot as, well you know the rest of that sentence! FYI: to date we are not sure if the Gestapo of Yard Inspections has came through but we have no note to date so that is all good.

Would love to write more but need to go water the orange tree and pray to God it will be fruitful and multiply!

Update from Zephyrhills FL seen thru Northern Eyes

Time for an update from Zephyrhills FL from a Northern girl who is

wondering how she ever landed up in the Sunshine State. 

Bob across the street has a love, other than the love of his wife. Did I mention he has a part-time job? He brings everyone’s trash cans from the curb to the front of the driveway.  Where else in America can you live and find someone who does this for free? Who else makes James Brown’s Living in America so true?  No tipping allowed!

Well Bob has let it be known to me, since I come from Music City, that he loves Loretta Lynn. To quote him, “The sun rises and sets over Loretta. She is the most talented music artist in the industry ever.”  Consequently anything she has ever done, he has. And Bob likes me so much that he has brought over a steady stream of her CDs for me to tape so that I too can listen to her. Do not ask if I like listening because it would not matter. This guy is too sweet to disappoint.

Johnny Cash is next, so now ask me if I have on my computer his music burned? Yep. Patsy Cline, yes her too. Every time I go outside for any length of time, a pattern has developed. Bob comes over slowly walking with something in his hands, more country CDs that are his prized possessions he wants to share with me.  He does not like any of the newer artists, some he has never even heard of so naturally none of mine he wants. Oh well.

We are finding frogs are as numerous in our lot as salamanders. In fact, they really like us. Now not only was one in the lanai but one, somehow some way landed up clear in our walk-in closet. This is astounding given it would have had to hop through the house, through the bedroom, through the bathroom and then into the closet.  What a hopper! 

Confronted with it staring back at me with those bulging eyes when I walked in there, it was met with my blood curdling screams. Jim, Type B personality, calmly is non-reactive. I run out to where he is in the kitchen saying “Oh my God’ to which he replies “Is something wrong” as if that is part of my normal dialogue. I wanted him to pick up this invader with his bare hands. He looked at me like I was out of my mind and goes looking for something to catch the frog with coming back to the bedroom area with a coffee can. In my hero goes to the bathroom area, calmly talking to a frog.

I wish I had a video of my knight in shining area chasing an itty bitty frog around in the bathroom. I was so proud of him in those few moments, gallantly chasing that frog around coercing him into that can with his seductive voice into that coffee can. Nobody can do it as well as him. With the frog placed outside, I could breathe a sigh of relief. And so could the frog as Charley had not eaten him.

He was placed relatively close to our water logged orange tree. This is the one that I mentioned before was not maintained well and needed to be watered frequently. Well, there has been an issue in this area. Jim and I keep neglecting to turn the hose off when we turn it on. The first time it happened, the 15 minutes was one full hour. We each thought the other had turned the kitchen timer on.  Naturally each of us pointed at the other as to blame. 

The very next day our neighbor next door mentions to us, “Hey I saw your water on for a long time. Do you know how expensive water is around here?” Jim was nice; I wanted to say “Hey, smart ass, why didn’t you turn the water off?”  It happened again only this time it was worse.  I turned it on and decided the kitchen timer, though in theory is an awesome idea, it was going to work for us.  Instead we are more punctual folks that work off clocks so we agreed let’s set a time to turn it off. On it went and it was supposed to be shut off at 1:15 p.m. We remembered 15 minutes after the hour alrighty, after 3 p.m.! On the good side, as Jim pointed out, we should have plenty of oranges, when they come in, and they will be quite juicy!  

It was time to update our driver’s license. In a sense, to make ourselves legal in the state of Florida. Off we go to the courthouse and as we approach the parking lot, some bizarre looking birds are standing in front of the building. They don't move at all, blocking both sides of the road not the least bit intimidated by the people or the government officials inside.  I guess they too realize the government is useless and the birds were protesting.

Very quickly, as I am trying to get good photos, my husband begins protesting for me to get out of the car and get them to move. Now, I am from the North and know nothing about wild birds that are as large as my dog! How do I know if they are going to bite me, fly at me and attack? If he is so brave, why doesn’t he do something?  Well, out of the car I go, clicking my tongue like some idiot who knows what they are doing and saying shoo.

I could swear people around the street were laughing, not at the birds, mind you but me!  I wanted to point at the car window and said “He made me do this!”  I continued as they waddled like two pregnant ladies to the curb as he moved the car towards a parking lot leaving me stranded in the middle of the road now blocking traffic myself. At least I got a close shot of the birds with my phone.

To reward ourselves for all our hard work we have still been doing around

our home, we went to our weekly hang out, the ice cream stand.  It was weekly dollar cone night Wed. that we so enjoyed last time. It was peaceful, quiet and serene.  This week, what the hell happened?  Did someone sound a fire alarm or what?  The place was like a zoo on Family Day!  In the space of 40 minutes, the two girls working must have made over 100 cones!  Gone was the serenity we had enjoyed the week before.  But the ice cream was just as good, the price was right so in the end, all was well and we went home fulfilled and knowing, yes we made the right choice frogs, Loretta and all!

Florida Beginnings

For those of you that have been asking how life is in the warm sunny state of Florida for this Northerner girl, blogging is the easiest way to respond. First know that those down here call me a Northern, inspite of the fact I have lived in Nashville for 16 years! I guess, in Floridians mind that is not the south.

When we first moved in, we found out quickly, we have a neighbor much like Mrs. Kravitz on the Bewitched show. Ours is named Wally. He is a very likeable fellow but makes it his responsibility to fill us in on everything not limited to but including:

·        If we pull our trash cans in off the curb and see others, we are to pull theirs up at the same time, as that is the “neighborly” thing to do

·        Our dog, since over 100 lbs. should be wearing a horse saddle

·        Instructions on how often the grass should be cut, how things should be planted

·        We must get Direct TV so he can get $25.00 off his next bill!

·        The bugs on the front of our car have been there for two days and need to be cleaned

In driving around the area, trying to get familiar with the roads, we have discovered our GPS is also unfamiliar with this area of Florida. Apparently the woman inside our navigation system has blonde roots or prefers the scenic route.  She frequently takes lunch breaks and leaves us in a lurch.

We quickly discovered, Florida is the one place everyone makes U turns, and I mean do mean everywhere. Turn signals must not be mandatory or break easily and are never fixed as  u turns are down with relatively no warning and at the most inopportune times.  Imagine, driving down the road, and all of the sudden, in the left-hand lane, the car directly infront of you hits its breaks and makes a u turn in the middle of a double sides highway. Welcome to Florida! Roads aren’t marked well and either are locations, stores, or restaurants. I constantly miss the turn off for Starbucks.  That is downright sinful! So u turns it is,  we have begun to conform to the norm.

I am enjoying seeing all the tropical plants I use to only see on television and on occasional vacations to the beach. Palm trees are everywhere, lining many streets. Drivers are not good-natured when I stop the car though to snap an occasional picture of one to text a friend so I have had to refrain doing so. And our neighbors, they are removing their large palm trees from their yard. As they do, they are gleeful about it and I am sad. Apparently these trees, once large, are a nuisance and yet, I am new to the area and love them. Slowly but surely, I fear the large ones will disappear from our neighborhood.

One of the most bizarre things I have seen in our neighborhood is pots of plants literally lying on the ground as landscaping!  Some folks put the pots half in the soil. I found this silly looking so took it upon myself to take two of ours that were left like that on our newer home to transplant in the ground.  Now, as they are quickly dying, I took the time to ask neighbors why they keep them potted. Now I learn it is because it allows the water to be held in the pots much better than the sandy soil to keep the plants from dying. I come home and look at my dying plants and say lesson learned.  Wally peeps out the window at me shaking his head and laughing.

Our lanai, also called a Florida room is much like a sunroom in the North.  We had no idea, if the door is left open long, those strange reptiles found in the south can find their way in. Baby lizards called salamanders and yes, even last night,  frogs. One night, two were found in it and we fought over who was going to catch the critters. I think we would have left them there with the door propped open but our fear was that Charley would eat them.   It is preferably though to mice in the house in the north.

We lucked out that we are located within ten houses of the doggie park. Charley is overjoyed. However, wow, every time he is taken outside to go to the bathroom, he is pulling at that lead as if there is no tomorrow to walk down there until we give in and off we go to appease him.  And wouldn’t you know it is right by the last hole of the golf course so carts seem to go by frequently getting him all riled up. The good part of this is he comes home exhausted. My arm is pulled half out of the socket too.

Oh we also have had a bout or two of poop in our new home! Strange huh when the HOA insists everyone pick up their dog’s poop.   We thought so too until we learned coyotes are located here too. And we then learned what their waste looks like and found it was that.  Disgusting huh, it somehow landed in our living room. So now, we are on guard for their stuff in our yard.  I am hoping they don’t like oranges as there is a nice orange tree in our backyard.

We have both been busy, my husband and I working on things fixing up the house, putting our touches on everything. Constantly we are asked how is the beach? We want to say, “What beach, are there beaches here?”  We really need to take a break and start doing more things Florida is known for. Home Depot is everywhere and even in Florida it looks exactly the same.

Interesting bit of trivia we learned regarding the county we live in Pascoe County. This is the nudist capital county in the United States. Clothing is optional in many areas. Isn’t that nice to know? Perhaps when my grandchildren come down, I should be certain I know where those areas are at! 

While painting our rocking chairs green, one neighbor was extremely friendly. Ed. He drove his golf cart right up through our yard to the garage to chat with me. As he watched me he kept commenting on how good a painter I was and how much I seemed to enjoy it. That should have been my cue, but no red flag went off.

He then went on to tell me where he lives in the community, towards the front where a huge Buddha is out in the front yard. I told Big Ed I would never have known that. He goes on to tell me Buddha needs very badly to be repainted. Okay, here I sensed what was coming. He told me he can’t handle painting Buddha. It hurts his back too much to bend over. He went on saying he would pay someone to paint it, “Hey why not you?” 

I got out of it but have decided, from here on out when painting I need to look more in pain when I do outside work if Ed is around. He is a sweetheart but I don’t see Buddha in my future!