Naples

We are now in Naples, FL. It is a bit warmer the further south we go. We've enjoyed two days on beautiful beaches here. There are more shells on these beaches than I've ever seen in one place. Piles of perfectly formed shells. To get to one of the beaches, though, we had to wade through a river -- many of us not prepared to get wet up almost to our waist.

We enjoyed watching the fishermen at the pier -- and the pelicans that were like scavengers fighting over the fish leftovers. The fishermen had to reel in their catch before the pelicans got it first. Quite a challenge -- and fun to watch.

One of the state park beaches had an environmental display for families last Saturday -- lots of fun contests and activities, including a man holding a snake and baby alligator. (photo) That evening we joined others from the RV park where we are staying for a "sunset at the beach night" -- gorgeous sunset. We ate pizza together at CiCi's -- an all-you-can-eat pizza/salad buffet chain in Florida for $5.59. They had lots of different kinds of pizza. It wasn't very good, really -- just cheap!

We walked the 2 1/2 mile boardwalk through Corkscrew Swamp, an Audobon Society preserve. Lots of different kinds of vegetation and wildlife. (Photo has a turtle, baby alligator and bird drying it's wings -- a common sight here.) Only saw a couple alligators in the distance... but wait til I post our experiences going into the northern part of the Everglades yesterday. More alligators than you can imagine!!!

Leaving Sarasota

Tonight is our last night at the Sun 'n Fun RV resort park -- after two months of "residency." It has been great fun, but there is more to see, and many more miles to travel. We'll spend another month in various parts of Florida before heading west again. We've appreciated the warmer and drier climate of Florida, especially after watching the weather channel news about the rest of the country.

We celebrated our last night with the weekly Thursday evening wine and cheese tasting, and then had a valentine's prime rib dinner at the restaurant at the resort.

Now that half of our year's travel is over, we'd like to share some of the books and movies we would recommend. Recent movies we've enjoyed: The Bucket List (great movie); Charlie Wilson's War; American Gangster -- others we can't remember just now.

Books that we've read recently that we would recommend-- some harder to read than others:
Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert; Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust by Immaculee Ilibagiza; This Voice in My Heart: A Genocide Survivor's Story of Escape, Faith, and Forgiveness by Gilbert Tuhabonye; Saving Grace by Annie Lamott; A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini; Secret Daughter: A Mixed-Race Daughter and the Mother Who Gave Her Away by June Cross; Martin Luther King-I Have a Dream, writings and speeches that changed the world, edited by James Washington; Leaving Church by Barbara Brown Taylor;
(John): The Jim Plunkett Story by Dave Newhouse; Playing for Pizza by John Grisham

Recent Highlights

One of the highlights of our time in Sarasota, FL, has been the connection with St. Andrew UCC, and the friendship with the minister, Phil Garrison. We had a special dinner out with Phil a week ago, and then he invited us to his home for dinner with his friend/mentor/professor, Tex (and his wife Peggy--first photo on left) Sample last Sunday evening. (Yes, it was Super Bowl, but it didn't interfere too much!) Phil had invited Tex to be a guest preacher and lecturer at St. Andrew this past week. So not only have we heard fantastic preaching/storytelling/teaching, we were able to get acquainted in a more personal way with these special people.

Tex has written a number of books, and was a favorite on the Living the Questions video series that we used at Christ Church United Methodist, Santa Rosa. I have been impressed with his writings over the years, and my appreciation went up considerably this week. In his lectures here in Sarasota, I was impressed again with the breadth, depth, and passion of his faith, as well as his wonderful storytelling ability. The biblical stories are told in such a unique way you can really "get the picture." He is very involved in community organizing now in the Phoenix area, yet travels and speaks all over the country. He has a new book coming out soon about Mysticism and Earth (or something like that.) His lecturers this past week had to do with biblical and societal justice, economics, and the importance of the faith community to work toward a more equitable society.

Congregations need to be so vitally alive that they can work for the common good and change the character of the country.

We will be sorry to leave St. Andrew UCC -- it has felt good to connect with a local faith community. We've realized again we need to be engaged in a faith community with a justice ministry at some time in our future.

But in the meantime... we're still enjoying "Sun n' Fun" RV Resort. I finished a stained glass class, and my first project. (calla lily) We're getting better at tennis because of the tennis classes we've taken. We're a little better at ping pong. But we are in better shape physically -- John is pretty committed to going to the exercise room, but I can't say the same for me. We're sometimes better in the shuffleboard tournaments, although it seems the more we play, the worse we get! It's a big thing here, though, as are so many other active sports and activities. I've gotten a library card from nearby city library, so we've read a few books.

We have enjoyed some of the Sarasota area outside the park, also. We went to the new Van Wenzel theater (right on the bay) to see the "Broadway on Ice" show with Brian Boitano and the singer in Phantom of the Opera, Franc D'Ambrosio. We were definitely moved by the winning combination and impressed with the whole show.

We took in the Ringling Museum of Art and Circus Museum yesterday. Sarasota was the home of the Ringling Bros. and Barnam & Bailey Circus for a number of years. The museum has the world's largest miniature circus created by a master model builder, and lots of history and memorabilia. The home (elaborate mansion in the style of Venetian Gothic palace) of John and Mable Ringling is part of the estate that is now open for the public. Amazing rooms and decor. The grounds are also well kept with a rose garden and many banyan trees.

The art collection in the Museum of Art is valued among the top 20 museum collections in the US. Amazing collection of paintings and outdoor sculptures. Their special exhibit now includes paintings by Grandma Moses.

We planned to eat lunch there -- I was thinking hot dogs and circus-type food. Instead we walked into an upscale restaurant. I ordered alligator cakes, like crab cakes only with alligator. Pretty good, if I didn't think too much about what I was eating!

We learned "big" news recently. John's daughter, Susan, announced her engagement to Scott Siebers. (Photo at end). They plan a July wedding in South Carolina, so we'll be crossing the country once again, but probably not with trailer in tow then!

family photo

Couldn't get this added to previous blog entry -- it is our family photo while on the Royal Carribean cruise -- before we gained the 5 extra pounds!

Wedding; Cruising; Parading

We've had such a lovely week. It started with a wedding near Tampa -- I officiated and remembered how to be a minister afterall! The groom is a friend of my daughter's from college days. John and I met with the couple (John & Elle) ahead of time and enjoyed getting acquainted with them--they were great fun. The wedding was at sunset on a wonderful beach, with a champagne, steak and lobster feast afterwards! Hey, someone had to do it! I was just at the right place at the right time!




Because Kristen was already here for the wedding, we had Jason fly out, and the four of us went on a 5-night cruise. There's nothing a mother enjoys more than having her family in one place for several days, especially since they can't escape! It was pure delight! We went snorkeling in Cozemul, and Kristen and I took in a river tour to a rain forest and Mayan ruins in Belize. The guide was so knowledgeable in every subject, (archeology, history, bird and wildlife, politics, culture) and helped us know a lot about the area on the bus and river ride. Local people served us a typical lunch (rice, beans, chicken--yummy). We saw many different birds, monkeys, crocodiles, and vegetation. Kristen climbed one of the tall ruins, but I, of course, had to stay below to take pictures! One afternoon John and I competed in a ping pong tournament -- I won the "gold medal!" (Only 5 actually competed!) Jason competed in the belly-flop contest, with lots of "drama". There was also added drama with a helicopter evacuation for a medical emergency one day. All in all--a fantastic trip. We had good visits, great laughs, more food than you can imagine, super entertainment, and mostly good weather. (The last afternoon was a bit rainy and windy, with a bit of rocking and rolling during the night, which wasn't so much fun.)

It's taken us a couple days to recover. We've returned to the Sun n' Fun RV Resort in Sarasota, Florida, for another month. We got back into the swing of things when we heard horns blowing Saturday morning, and poked our heads out to see what was going on. We had forgotten it was their 2008 Homecoming Parade and BBQ. Lots of creativity went into the costumes and decorating those golf carts! A youth group from Canada, the Calgary Fiddlers, provided the entertainment. They were great fiddlers and dancers!

We also attended a Ringling & Barnum Bailey Circus near where we're staying. Ringling Circus started in Sarasota. They were great, although we wished we hadn't read the blurb handed out by protesters before the show accusing the circus of cruelty to the animals (elephants, tigers, dogs).



Last night we buttoned things down after hearing a tornado warning for our area. They cancelled the bulletin later, but still had some wind, rain and lightning. Today it's back to the heater and winter clothes! Such drastic changes in weather within a couple days is something we haven't quite gotten used to, but then we're not in the sub-zero temperatures like a lot of places right now!

Happy New Year!

OK -- now it feels like winter! We woke up to 30 F weather and a frozen water line going into our trailer yesterday morning. It was the coldest day in Florida since 2003. It is quite unusual weather. Two nights ago it was so warm and humid we had our fan going all night. The last two nights we have had the heater going. It is supposed to return to the 70's by the weekend, though. Before the "chill" we did enjoy an afternoon at a beautiful beach in Sarasota -- along with a visiting raccoon.

We also had a great dinner out for my birthday -- alright, my 63rd birthday!!! We had heard about the Columbia, a Cuban restaurant from more than one person, and it was exceptional. It was crowded inside, but we had a great outdoor table with a terrific dinner (see photo holding menu) in a very upscale shopping area in Sarasota.

We also had a great New Year's evening. A prime rib dinner at the Boondocks, the restaurant here at the RV resort, followed by a dance party with a band. It did feel funny getting all dressed up, then going to a party on our bikes! (see photo) We had fun dancing on a crowded dance floor with mostly other 50-80-year-olds!

Here's wishing you a very Happy New Year!

Christmas in Sunny Florida

This is certainly a different way of celebrating Christmas for us. We're spending a month at the Sun 'n Fun RV Park in Sarasota, FL, and are having so much fun that we're extending for another month. This is a huge park, with as many permanent (9 months of the year) residents in small modular units as there are RVs, some of whom stay for months and who return every year.

The beach in Sarasota is phenomenal. White powder sand. And packed on a warm day just before Christmas! We've been so "busy" we haven't had enough time yet to go to the beach except for one part of an afternoon.

So, while our Christmas was not normal, it was very enjoyable -- tennis, ping pong, shuffleboard (they play with a bowling ball on the court so it adds challenge), swimming and hot tub, a ham dinner at their restaurant, naps, reading, games... all in 70 degree sunny weather.

It did feel more like Christmas going to a Candlelight Christmas Eve service at St. Andrew UCC -- a church we've attended 3 times. The sanctuary was beautiful. The minister, Phil Garrison, (photo with his wife) is someone we are enjoying very much. The choir and director who plays piano and organ are also very good. As much as I am enjoying the leadership and worship services of other ministers, we realized last night we missed being a part of our "own" church community, especially on such a special night. But, the Christmas message is real, whether in familiar settings or far away. If only the message of peace, hope, love, joy could become realities in our world. So let's help make it become so everyday! Let's live the Christmas message.

Sun 'n Fun in Sarasota, FL

We are thoroughly enjoying our month's stay at the Sun 'n Fun RV Park in Sarasota, FL. It is rated the #1 mega RV Park for 2007-2008. We can see why! It is a huge resort-like park, with as many permanent residents in small modular units as there are RVers. And many of the RVers are long-term. We're "short term" and maybe once-in-a-lifetime whereas many here stay for months at a time and return every year. There's plenty of open space, lakes, tropical vegetation as well as pine trees and palm trees. We're riding our bikes everywhere, since we don't have a golf cart, like many who stay here.

There are activities day and night -- we're drawn to the pool and hot tub almost every day. So many things we've only begun to sample: ping pong, tennis, (we even bought new tennis rackets, since our Rummage Sale variety were a bit out-dated), shuffle board, lawn bowling, beach volleyball, bocci ball, exercise room, woodworking shop, stained glass workshop, horseshoes, miniature golf (but plenty of golf courses nearby if we played golf!), plus daily scheduled crafts, cards, music, dance, ... it goes on and on. There's a restaurant and bar at the pool with reasonably-priced food, so we wouldn't even have to cook, if we didn't want to! Every evening there are special events: wine and cheese tasting, karoke, bingo, live music/dance... So why wouldn't we want to be full-timers? We could get used to this!

There are beautiful white sandy beaches nearby -- we're planning a picnic at the beach today!

We finally connected with John's grandson, Devin, who lives and goes to school in Orlando. We may be able to spend Christmas with him.

Animal Kingdom, Disney World

My son, Jason, just returned from a trip to South Africa and Tanzania. Among the many adventurous things he did (largest bungee jump in world, climbing Mt. Kilamanjaro, great white shark diving, for example) was to go on a safari. Well, John and I were not to be outdone! We went on a safari also -- at Disney's Animal Kingdom in Orlando! Not quite like the real thing, obviously, but they did a fair job of making it seem real as we bounced along in their safari jeep, seeing tigers, elephants, zebras, wildebeasts, flamingos, rhinos.
We didn't take days to climb a mountain like Jason did, but we did go on the "Mt Everest Express" rollercoaster. We saw the signs warning about being in good health before going. We noticed there were no other senior citizens in line either, but we'd already braved the River Rapids where we'd gotten drenched, and figured we were up for it. But oh boy! It was a little more adventurous than we had planned -- much of it going backwards in a dark tunnel. We heard a description afterward that it is like a runaway train going backwards at breakneck speeds! We had to take a few minutes to sit down and catch our breath after that ride! (We read recently that a 44 year old man just died on that ride from a heart attack!) We're happy to report we're fine!
We weren't expecting much from their "Jingle Parade" through the park, but it was quite good with their many floats, costumed participants, dancers, etc. We also enjoyed other performers -- like the Ecuadorian wind pipe ensemble, and the African acrobatic dancers.
All in all, a fun day. (We're saving Epcot Center for our next trip through Orlando.)

Christmas is coming?

We know it's December. We know Christmas is coming. We hear the Christmas carol music. We see the decorations. But when it's 70 and 80 degrees outside, with palm trees and swimming pools, it's hard to imagine it here in Florida!

One of the funniest ways of celebrating the season we've seen was the "Christmas Golf Cart Parade" at the RV park we were staying in recently. Lots of carts, all decorated for the season, formed a parade! Many of the more permanent homes in the park had gone all out with lights and decorations. Somehow we haven't quite gotten there yet! But Christmas is coming, we hear!