A look back to ten years ago today…Wow! What a great memory!…Company’s coming again!…

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The further we walked toward “The Treasury” in Petra, Jordan, the carved stone became more and more detailed and interesting. The balance of these photos will be shared in tomorrow’s post. See the post here.

Note: Today’s photos are from this date in 2013 when we embarked on the long walk to see “The Treasury” in Petra, Jordan. It was a long walk in the heat but well worth it, and we wanted to share the photos with all of our newer readers who may have missed the original post ten years ago.

It was a lovely Mother’s Day. Hearing from my two sons with lively conversation and quality time spent with Tom made it a special day. Then again, most days are special. At sundowner time, for the first time in a few weeks, we enjoyed an adult beverage while seated at the table on the lanai.

It was hard to believe the two-thousand-year-old craftsmanship.

It was warm outdoors, but not as warm as we’d become accustomed to in South Africa, and we chatted for quite a while until it was time to go indoors and make dinner. Having prepped most of the meal ahead of time, in no time at all, we sat down for dinner.

After dinner, we lounged in the living room to stream a few shows, and by 9:45, I was off to bed while Tom stayed up watching Shark Tank. My Fitbit informed me this morning that I’d slept nine hours. Wow! I could tell I’d slept well when we walked as soon as I was up, showered, and dressed.

The passageway became narrower and narrower the further we walked.

Tom gets up earlier than I do but often naps at 2:00 each afternoon, only sleeping for a short time, if at all. I’m not much of a napper until at night in front of the show we’re streaming, usually around 7:30. I guess I need the sleep, especially after my recent health crisis. I am feeling much better.

We haven’t been out much lately to take photos, but today, we’re sharing photos of Petra from ten years ago. Tomorrow, Karen and Rich will return to pick us up to drop them off at Orlando Airport. They’d offered us the use of their car for the two weeks they’ll be gone for Karen’s son Jack’s wedding in Minnesota. This will allow us to drive around The Villages and take photos to share here.

The raw beauty of nature and artistic skills made the walk exciting moment by moment.

We don’t have any shopping other than a quick trip to a CVS for a few toiletry items I haven’t found at Kroger’s online shopping. Today, when placing a Kroger order, they had a problem with their website, and my order wouldn’t process. I called and am awaiting a response when they resolve it. Even in the US, not everything works as smoothly as expected.

We have been busy planning menus for our upcoming company, including dinner for new guests on Wednesday and meals for friends Carol and Mark, who arrive on Saturday and stay for three nights. While Carol and Mark are here, we’ll be going out to dinner on Sunday and dining in on Saturday and Monday. Having company’s undoubtedly enjoyable, and I am pacing myself to ensure I don’t run out of steam.

Tom carried our heavy bag with water and supplies during the entire three hours of the journey.

They leave to return to their home in Boca Raton on Tuesday. It’s almost a four-hour drive depending on traffic on the freeway. We haven’t seen Carol, a retired airline pilot with Delta, since we came to the US in November 2017 to board a cruise out of Fort Lauderdale, Florida. It will be fun to see her again and meet her boyfriend Mark, whom we’ve never met.

It’s certainly been fun seeing friends while here in The Villages. As it turns out, we have many more opportunities to spend time with old and new friends while we’re here for the next few months. It will be a fun and busy time.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, May 15, 2013:

Here we were yesterday, in front of the world-renowned “Treasury” in Petra, Jordan—a fantastic day for both of us. For more photos, please click here.

Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms out there!

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Gosh, we’re enjoying this simple life. This morning after our walk, we made breakfast of scrambled eggs with onions, Tom’s were topped with hand-grated white cheddar cheese, and mine were topped with Wholly Guacamole and Pace Picante sauce. On the side, Tom had crispy uncured bacon, while I had wild-caught salmon in the package, not the can.

It’s delightful to be able to purchase products here that aren’t available in other countries. We’ve stocked the refrigerator with such items as full-sized romaine lettuce leaves (which we can’t get in South Africa), large eggplants, zucchini, and robust stalks of crispy celery, things we’ve missed for years. No doubt, we’re getting spoiled.

Last night, we had one of our favorite dinners, lettuce-wrapped “unwiches” with slices of ripe red tomatoes, onions, cooked bacon, sliced provolone cheese, and Primal Kitchen’s bad-oil-free mayonnaise, made with avocado oil and chemical-free deli meats. What a treat! They were delicious!

With a salad on the side with homemade sour cream salad dressing, it was a perfect meal we’re repeating tonight. This morning, I cooked fresh bacon, washed the romaine lettuce, sliced the tomato and onion, and this evening, we’ll put it all together, wrapped in tin foil which we peel down as we eat it.

Today is Mother’s Day, an occasion celebrated in most countries. I am grateful to hear from our kids and have no expectations of anything special. We send love and warm wishes to all the moms worldwide to feel special on this celebratory day. We’d contemplated going out for brunch, but with all the moms and grandmas in The Villages, it’s unlikely we’d have ever been able to get a table. Also, our homemade meals are much more suitable, especially with me on a diet right now.

Years ago, Tom and I agreed it wouldn’t be necessary to purchase gifts or cards for one another, regardless of the occasion. We told the same to our children, and now we only purchase gift cards for the grandchildren until they are 18 years old. After that, love and warm wishes will have to do, as we’ve done for our adult children and their significant others.

With our baggage weight maxed out, neither of us needs a thing. Also, with our short time here, there isn’t anything that would be a worthwhile purchase to use while we’re here. We have everything we need.

Will we become spoiled with all of these “extras?” This morning, as we’ve been doing since we arrived, we washed the bedding. In only two hours, we had the bed remade with clean sheets and pillowcases. It’s all so easy. Tom enjoys having a dishwasher, and I like having a garbage disposal.

The whole house air conditioning keeps us oblivious to the hot weather, which we only experience in the mornings on our walk and when seated at the table on the veranda, which we do a few times each day. Also, sitting here in the living room right now with the TV on is enjoyable, something we haven’t done since we left the US. The digital service even has On-Demand so that we can choose a show.

Again, this morning we watched CBS Sunday Morning, a show we always liked in our old lives. Sure, this reminds us of our old lives, most of which we thoroughly loved. But, regardless of all these luxury amenities, we have no doubt this life is temporary. Although we don’t wish the time to pass quickly to be on the move again, we anticipate the future with hope and excitement.

We’ve always accepted the differences in other parts of the world and have made a point of adapting to our surroundings, however challenging they may be at times. Once we get settled in at a new location, in no time at all, we find workarounds, and as time marches on, we barely notice the differences, if at all.

Again, a Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms and grandmothers out there and to all of you…be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, May 14, 2013:

No photos or a post was uploaded on this day, a travel day in the country of Jordan—exciting photos are coming tomorrow.

Our friends have left…Doing exactly what we prefer to do…The golf cart included with our rental…

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This is the Yamaha golf cart that’s included in our rent.

Late yesterday afternoon, Karen and Rich headed to her mom’s home, a 15-minute drive from here. I have known Donna for many years as Karen’s loving mom, and we plan to visit her in the next few weeks. On Tuesday, we’re taking Karen and Rich to the Orlando Airport as they take off for Karen’ts son Jack’s wedding in Minnesota.

They offered to leave their car with us during the two weeks they are away rather than leave the car in the parking lot at the airport. This works well for us. On Tuesday afternoon, they’ll return and pick us up while we drop them off at the airport, an hour’s drive from here. When they return at the end of the month, we’ll pick them up, and they’ll drop us back at our house. Geographically, this all works out well.

We plan to see Karen and Rich during our remaining time in Florida. They’ve offered to pick us up on another date to spend a few night’s at their fabulous new home in Bradenton, another two-hour drive. Otherwise, they may return and spend a few more days with us here, whichever works well logistically with everyone’s schedule.

The longer we are in The Villages, the more research we do to determine what appeals to us the most. We’ve gone through the list of daily activities, and many don’t appeal to us. We don’t play tennis or pickleball, and although that sounds fun, my weak legs prevent either of these sports from being possible.

This is the only storage area in the golf cart, leaving little room for groceries other than a few bags.

Many of the activities are those that are commonly found on cruise ships. If you like to see what’s available today, click here for the long list of activities. After sharing this list with Tom, he didn’t seem interested in any of the activities, and we accepted the reality that such activities don’t necessarily appeal to us after all.

Sure, we’d like to meet new people and hope to do so when we attend events in the various town squares and dine out each week. But we have a massive list of people here that would like to get together, which alone could keep us busy the entire time we are here.

Let’s face it; our interests have changed over the years of world travel. Also, we spend half of each day working on our posts, future travel plans, and communication with family, friends, and readers. After our walk in the morning, cooking and eating breakfast, doing household chores, and prepping dinner, the day flies by. We enjoy all these activities at the house and never feel bored or lonely. By late afternoon, we feel prepared to socialize, alone or with others.

These two bikes are in the garage, but I don’t think I can safely ride a bike anymore.

Many would say, “Get out! Try something new! Don’t be stuck in the mud!”

But our lives consist of always “trying something new,” and we never feel “stuck in the mud.” If it weren’t for this blog, no one would know what we do and don’t do. And we decided long ago that we can’t live our lives for the blog. The blog represents our chosen life and activities, not driven by it. That would be impossible with a new post uploaded daily. It would be too much pressure.

Our lives are about low stress, as much as possible, and choosing to do what appeals to us the most. Before we went into lockdown in India in 2020, we had embarked on about 20 safaris at three national parks. We never hesitated to do this. We never hesitated to interact with the people or the animals while in Africa. We rarely turn down an opportunity for social interaction.

Helmets are included with the bikes.

We never hesitated to embark on 10-person rubber Zodiac boats to explore icebergs and wildlife in Antarctica. We never hesitated to explore the souks in Marrakesh, Morocco, walk the hilly roads in Boveglio, Italy, or even attend a party where no one spoke English. We never hesitated to stand in the pouring rain, soaked to the gills for over an hour, to see the Gardens of Versailles in France.

We never hesitated to live on farms, learn about farm life, and spend time with farm animals and farmers. We never hesitated to embark on almost 30 cruises in the past ten years to see more of the world than any flights could ever offer us and so much more, the content of which is documented in over 3900 posts.

We’ve continued on when many others may have quit. Since that, too, was precisely what we wanted to do. And that will be the same for us while in The Villages. We are relishing the comfort and amenities of living in this lovely house and will enjoy many social events we plan for our time here. We are having dinner guests on Wednesday, people we’ve never met, and friends Carol and Mark are coming next Saturday for three nights.

Doing precisely what we like to do…

Be well.

Photo from one year ago today, May 13, 2013:

Due to our 10-hour expeditions to Petra, Jordan, we couldn’t prepare a post on this date. Stop back tomorrow for the fantastic photos.

Adults only, please…Debunking a myth about The Villages…Fabulous time with visiting friends…Suez Canal photos…

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Tugboats accompany each ship as it makes its way through the canal as a precautionary measure in an emergency—fifty ships per day transit through the channel.

Note: Today’s photos are from our sailing through the Suez Canal ten years ago today. See the post here. (Please excuse the spot on the upper right of each photo.

Last night after a homemade dinner of Cashew Chicken with Broccoli and Mushrooms, our friends Karen and Rich joined us in the living room while we engaged in lively conversation, having not seen them since a year ago in March. The conversation veered to the perception that the location where we’re staying at this time, in The Villages Florida, has a reputation as being the “STD capital of the world.”

This perception was created when an article mentioned that a doctor said The Villages had a high incidence of venereal diseases based on rampant sexual activities. It all started like this from this article:

Al-Firdan Bridge is the largest swing, double-cantilever bridge in the world.

Information abounds about how the STD rumor started…

Some say a disgruntled nurse hurled it as an insult. Others believe it began with a joke on a radio station. But most trace it to a 2006 television news story, “Doctors in Retirement Community Seeing Increase in STDs.”

“While statistics aren’t yet reflecting the trend, one physician at the Women’s Center of The Villages said, even in her years working in Miami, she has never seen so many cases,” the since-removed WFTV article reported.

The Women’s Center of The Villages is no longer open. And the doctor was never named.”

Yesterday, on the Garage Logic show on which Tom is mentioned daily when he contributes, “This day in Minnesota history,” the show’s host, Joe Soucheray, said this myth about The Villages, which the hosts of the show shared their opinions that this may be true. That’s how powerful this perception is that The Villages is a “real swinging place for people in their 60s and 70s.” We had no idea about this rumor when we booked the house here.

Mosques were abundant in all the villages we passed along through the canal.

Here’s the link to the podcast from Garage Logic on May 11. If you’d like to hear their hilarious comments, you can fast forward one hour, 15 minutes, and 26 seconds to the exact spot where this is discussed.

Countless myths are flying around the internet about The Village about this topic including:

What do loofahs in The Villages mean?

Residents from the Florida retirement complex the Villages, which The Post reported on in 2009 as being a “wild retirees getaway,” have been caught on video displaying loofahs on their golf carts, allegedly to distinguish their swinging sexual styles.
This is a myth: Residents use loofahs on their golf carts to more easily identify their golf cart when returning to a parking lot at one of the many venues. There are a reported 70,000 golf carts in The Villages.

A ferry was taking off into the canal.
What do gold shoes mean in The Villages?
According to multiple people, wearing gold shoes or letting your shirt tag stick out in the back signals you’re on the prowl.
This is a myth: Often, seniors choose to wear gold or silver shoes or sandals simply for fashion purposes. Besides, gold shoes often are appropriately worn with dress-up or dancing clothes, and such events may be prevalent in The Villages.
What do the colored scrunchies mean in The Villages?
This is a myth: People wear scrunchies to keep their hair out of their eyes and faces. Those with longer hair scrunchies may be worn to match one’s outfit and simply keep their hair out of their faces. While riding in a golf cart, one’s hair blows around (I know this from recent personal experience). Also, many seniors participate in sports in The Villages, particularly golf, and pickleball.

The peninsulas in the Bitter Lakes area were intriguing, with armed soldiers standing on the shore waving at us.

Does the pink flamingo mean a swinging lifestyle?

It used to be a symbol to show your hospitality and morphed from there. Today, the pink flamingo meaning is used as an indicator of a swinging lifestyle. This type of symbol is not as common as the others, but it does exist.
This is a myth: Florida and other tropical climates have used pink flamingos in their yards for decades, probably going back to the 50s. There’s never been a direct link between pink flamingos and a swindling lifestyle.
These are only a few of the misconceptions about life in The Villages. Many more exist. Sure, in any retirement community, coupled with the lack of concern over pregnancy, seniors may enjoy an active sex life among their neighbors and circle of friends and be subject to various STDs. But this is true anywhere in the world, not necessarily only in The Villages.
We’ve heard tales about nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and other senior-age communities worldwide that STDs are a common occurrence. We take this information with a grain of salt, knowing regardless of the scenarios here in The Villages, we aren’t candidates for this type of lifestyle.

Two other cruise ships were making the transit during our transit, but most of the ships were well-packed freighters. Later in the afternoon, around 2:30, we stood on our balcony as we began the final exit of the Suez Canal, an experience we will never forget.

Our friends Karen and Rich arrived last evening, and we had a lovely time together. The time has gone so quickly, and soon they must leave to head to Karen’s mom’s house for Mother’s Day weekend. We hope to see them again before we leave Florida in 78 days.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, May 12, 2013:

Shortly after stepping out on the balcony at 5:00 am, we passed under the Friendship Bridge as we sailed through the Suez Canal. For more photos, please click here.

Preparing for our second visitors…Package issue solved…Photos ten years ago today…

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The Sphinx…breathtaking!

With no new photos, since we’ve stayed in the past few days, today, we’re sharing some photos from ten years ago on this date. We’re busy getting ready for our overnight guests, friends Karen and Rich, who will spend only one night with us before they head out to drive to see Karen’s mom for the Mother’s Day weekend.

Due to previous work obligations, they won’t arrive until 6:00 pm, so we decided that eating would be better than heading out in the dark to dinner. We wanted to share a fantastic local town square with them, Brownwood, but it’s best to go when it’s light with the many outdoor activities.

Camels were everywhere—the more adorned, the safer the ride. We didn’t choose to partake with an air of caution, fearing injury putting an end to our travels.

Instead, Tom and I will head there on Saturday afternoon in plenty of time to enjoy the live music and outdoor activities winding down the evening, dining in one of the many restaurants in the area. At that point, we’ll have more local photos.

Getting snail mail here is a problem since we don’t have the key to the mailbox, and the owner said we should only use other delivery services other than USPS, such as Amazon Delivery, FedEx, or UPS. We ordered Crystal Light iced tea for Tom through Amazon but had no idea the package would arrive via the United States Postal Service.

When we received a text message the iced tea was delivered, and it wasn’t at the door, we realized it may have gone to the local post office for Fernandina. Looking online, we found the location of the little postal station for this village and took off on the golf cart around 3:30 pm, hoping the package was there.

A smaller sphinx at the Cairo Museum.

We couldn’t believe how many golf carts were on the roads, and this is going into the slow summer season with fewer people here. Many tourists and homeowners go to cooler locations during the summer months. But, based on our ongoing world travels, we seldom consider the weather when we’re visiting a new location. We simply can’t be assured of traveling during any ideal season.

Thank goodness we have an app that directs us to any address in The Villages that can be reached by golf cart. In about 10 minutes, we found the postal station, a small square building with all the mailboxes located on the outside of the building. There was staff inside the building, but notices were posted that said, “If you want to talk to someone inside, open your mailbox and talk through the mailbox to the staff.

Well, we didn’t have a key, but thank goodness there was a door. I told Tom I’d take care of this and opened the door shocking the two employees therein. They said, “You can’t be in here.”

King Ramses II, too heavy to stand up, viewed at the Cairo Museum.

I said,” I am looking for a package delivered less than an hour ago that won’t fit into a box and is in an Amazon box.”

The person insisted no such package had arrived. I pressed further. “I received a text stating it was delivered here.” She grumbled a little and finally began to search for the package and found it. She smiled apologetically as she confirmed my name and handed me the box. I thanked her profusely and headed out the door.

Had Tom gone in there, he wouldn’t have been as bossy as me and walked away empty-handed. He was thrilled to see me approaching the golf cart with the package. From now on, when we order supplies from Amazon, we will verify the delivery method used to ensure we receive the box at the house, which, up to this point, has worked well.

Children of all ages waved and smiled as our bus traveled along their roads
.

Back in the golf cart, we made our way back to the house when in no time at all, I started working on our dinner. We had a lovely dinner and evening, spent streaming a few shows using the HDMI cord attached to the TV and my laptop, which works well.

We both had a good night’s sleep and after our walk, I made breakfast and began chopping and dicing for tonight’s dinner for our guests, “Spicy Chicken, Mushroom, Broccoli Stir Fry with Cashews” with white rice. Rather than spend hours in the kitchen, this is the only dish I am making for dinner. We have vanilla ice cream for dessert (and keto yogurt for me). Before they arrive, I’ll make a few snack-type items to serve during happy hour, such as fresh veggies and homemade dip.

This morning, we did laundry and cleaned the house. All we have left to do is Swiffer the floors before our guests arrive. We’re in good shape for tonight.

We’ll be back with more tomorrow.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, May 11, 2013:

The Sphinx in Egypt is massive but not as huge as expected. For more photos, please click here.

Part 1…Our first visitors…Our second meal out in The Villages…

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My mouth watered when I saw these two treats Kristi and Keviin brought for Tom, made through their home business, “One More Bite, Organic Desserts.” I don’t dare try them, but they certainly look delicious.

Yesterday, it was terrific to have Kristi and Kevin visit us from their home in Florida. We appreciated them making the 8-hour round trip, but they both enjoyed a trip away for the day from their usual busy schedules.

They arrived around noon, and after a quick tour of our place, we lounged outdoors at the table on the lanai until, finally, we decided to head out to eat. It was still afternoon, and we hadn’t had breakfast, so we were all hungry and looking forward to a nice meal.

Tom and his nephew Kevin.

Kristi is also conscientious of eating healthy whole foods, making Mexican food a good option for all of us. The restaurant, Los Magueyes, was an excellent choice, and although we’ll try other Mexican restaurants, we’d love to return sometime in the future.

Today, I did better on our walk than I have since we began walking in Marloth Park about a month ago. Also, walking on even paved surfaces is delightful, making walking easier and less likely to result in a twisted ankle or even a fall.

Kristi and Kevin thoughtfully made the eight-hour round-trip drive to see us. We had a fantastic day!

The conversation at the meal was delightful. We all shared stories, past and present, and reveled in one another’s lives. Kristi and Kevin started a fantastic organic home bakery business here in Florida, “One More Bite Organic Desserts,” found on this site. In the future, they plan to ship country-wide. We’ll update the details at that time.

Although I can’t eat any of their delectable treats since they contain organic sugar, they brought two special items for Tom, which he’ll savor in the next few days. They are both dedicated and enthusiastic about having started this successful business and enjoy serving their customers who prefer the option of organic desserts, many of which are gluten-, grain-free, and dairy-free.

There are several Mexican restaurants in The Villages. We chose this location since it was close to a Wells Fargo ATM and had the same 4.5-star reviews as all the other Mexican restaurants in the area. Dining there proved to be worthwhile. Now that I’m beginning to feel better, we plan to get out at least a few times a week and visit some of the other villages in this amazing retirement community.

After we left the restaurant, Kevin drove around The Villages for us to take photos. I hadn’t brought the camera, but after we explored, we found a few areas we’ll return to this coming weekend when friends Karen and Rich arrive, an area we can’t wait to share with hotos. It was absolutely amazing. How fun!

Authentic Mexican decor in the restaurant.

Once back at our holiday home, they decided to begin the four-hour road trip back to their home near the sea. We warmly hugged goodbye and planned to see each other at the end of September when we’ll all be in Minnesota. We’re looking forward to seeing them again.

Tom said his margarita was delicious. He hadn’t had one of these since the last time we were in the US in November 2022.

No words can describe how much better I’m feeling today. This morning, our huge Kroger grocery order arrived, and I had no trouble organizing and putting everything away where I struggled with the simplest tasks only a few days ago. We have enough food to last two to three weeks, only filling in a few items we can order as needed, such as lettuce and other fresh vegetables. The minimum order for free delivery is $35 with the Boost app, which is easy to do when running low on a few items.

Kristi and I had eaten too much of our dishes to take decent photos. We were having such a good time; I forgot to take food photos. My only alternative was to take photos of Tom’s partially eaten taco salad and Kevin’s dish. I ordered a prawn and vegetable dish without rice, beans, or tortillas. It was delicious, but it was a small portion without the rice and beans. Later in the evening, I had a chicken breast at the house.

This house motivates me to stay impeccably tidy and for us to keep it as clean as possible. Also, I finished two loads of laundry and put everything away. In South Africa, with less storage space, we struggled to keep everything in order and dust free, a small price to pay for the joy of living in the bush.

Kevin’s dish of half quesadilla, refried beans, rice, and salsa.

Louise wrote this morning to tell me the awful load shedding has prompted them to temporarily move into our former house with the fantastic inverter system. They are installing the same system in their home, which should be done by the end of the month since they won’t have to suffer with the load shedding. It’s funny they are there seeing all of our beloved animals and, of course, Norman, Nina, and Natalie each day.

We’ll be back tomorrow with more photos.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, May 9, 2013:

No photo was posted on this date in 2013. To read the text, please click here.

Our first visitors, human that is, are arriving today…Remembering ten years ago today…

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We sailed through the Red Sea from Barcelona, Spain, through the Gulf of Aden, and then up the east coast of the Middle East to Dubai. It was quite an adventure.

Recently, when I’ve reviewed ten-year-old posts to include a photo for the feature below, “Photo from ten years ago today…” I am in awe of the experiences we’ve had over the years. This particular date, May 8, 2013, stands out in our mind as one of the most amazing experiences we have had in our world travels.

I resisted sharing the details again today, but ten years was a long time ago, and many of our current readers may not have seen the post. The events of that day and the following days are emblazoned in our minds forever. For the sake of expediency, with our guests arriving in a few hours and in the desire to get today’s post uploaded with our current lack of photos, I have copied and pasted portions of that post from May 8, 2013, to share once again. Please forgive the redundancy. Here we go:

“Last night, after an enjoyable evening out to dinner with our new friends, a good meal, a great Broadway-type show in the Savoy Theatre, a stop in a Lotus Lounge, and a stroll along the Promenade, we sauntered back to our cabin.

Early birds that we are, up by no later than 6:00 am most days, we try to get to sleep by 11:00 pm, which is not always an easy task. Our body clocks are back into our regular schedule after struggling with the nine-hour time difference from Belize to Barcelona. It took us almost three weeks to adapt.

My earlier prediction that sailing across the seas slowly would make adapting easier was shot, as the daily changes across the ocean took us deeper and deeper into “biological clock” hell.

At the end of last week, we lunged into a massive change by getting up at 6:00 am with much difficulty, falling on our faces by 11:0 pm that first night. In 24 hours, we were back on track.

On the last ship, the Norwegian Epic, we met a couple who had cruised this route a few years ago, telling us intimidating stories of guards with machine guns guarding the ships at night, frequent and strict drills, and a similar protocol as indicated in this letter.

We’d anticipated the likelihood of certain procedures being put into place necessary for safe sailing through these high-risk pirate-laden waters. Perhaps not to this extreme, until we talked to the couple on the Epic, whom we thought at the time, was enjoying getting a reaction out of us.

Although, in essence, it may not have been intended to elicit fear any more than our recent telling of the 50-foot swells and 65 MPH winds we experienced for three days on the Atlantic crossing of the Epic.

Are we scared? No. This massive ship has many security measures in place, along with a critical drill on May 15th at 10:30 am, a full day before we enter the dangerous waters of the Gulf of Aden.”

We’d love to sail that itinerary again someday since it was a fantastic experience. For now, we have other “fish to fry” and some exciting itineraries on the horizon. Right now, my goal is to regain my health through exercise, diet, good sleep, and low stress, and of course, some fun!

Tomorrow, we’ll be back with photos from today’s outing with Kristi and Keven, including food and scenery photos.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, May 8, 2013:

This was a letter in our cabin after we returned from dinner on the Mariner of the Seas. Zoom in to read. Quite interesting. For more on this story, please click here.

Relaxing in this easy life…But, no daily housekeepers…

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Here’s an update for our new readers or those who haven’t read our posts in the past week or two:

Yesterday was two weeks ago; we went to Mediclinic Hospital in Nelspruit, where I needed a cardioversion procedure to get my heart rate and blood pressure back to normal. Spending three days in ICU to immediately be released didn’t give me ample time to recover. Feeling a little better each day, I can stay busier than in the past few weeks.

Only four days later, we embarked on the 35-hour journey to the US, where on the 17-hour red-eye flight, I had another bout of Afib. (The cardiologist had said it was safe to travel). It took six hours for it to resolve on its own. I was terrified I’d have a heart attack or stroke on the long flight. Thank God, it stopped on its own and gradually began returning to normal after the six-hour episode.

One of our dear readers, Thelma May, wrote and said I am being too hard on myself in a comment at the end of yesterday’s post. Once again, after the frightening event, I felt exhausted for days. It’s been a week since that second event, and now I am finally sleeping well and starting to regain my strength. Thelma May, thank you for reminding me to avoid stressing over not feeling 100% at this point. I imagine I’ll be back to normal in a week or so.

We’d hoped to come to The Villages and immediately start socializing. That doesn’t begin until tomorrow when our first visitors, Tom’s nephew Kevin and his wife, Kristi, will arrive around noon. We plan to go out for a late lunch or early dinner, whatever works for them since they have a long drive back to their home in Florida.

This morning, we walked around the block before breakfast and returned to the house in time to watch CBS Sunday Morning, a show we often watched in our old lives. It had been years since we watched that informational series. Afterward, I made breakfast, bacon, cheesy eggs for Tom, and for me, plain scrambled eggs topped with Wholly Guacamole, a product I used in our old lives.

With the washer going with the bedding, which we’ll do once a week now that we don’t have daily housekeeping by Vusi and Zef, we busied ourselves elsewhere around the house. When everything was dry, we made the bed with a wooden frame, inviting shins to bang into it.

It’s odd doing our own housework after a 2½ year hiatus with the help of Vusi and Zef, five days a week. All we had to do in Marloth Park were our laundry (which they would have done, but we preferred to do) and cleaning up after cooking and eating (which they would have done, but again, we preferred to do it ourselves).

This holiday home has a housecleaner included one day a month. At first, I thought that we’d need someone once a week or maybe every other week. But after being here a week and being meticulous about cleaning up after ourselves, we will do a weekly general cleaning of the floors, bedding, bathrooms, and dusting.

Each time we use the kitchen, we clean up our mess, including washing dishes, pots, pans (there is a dishwasher), the glass stovetop, the granite counters, and the kitchen sink, and take out the trash. With that attention to detail, we decided we won’t need a cleaner other than the once-a-month deep clean supplied by the owner.

Once in a while, I make a more time-consuming meal but right now, the easier, the better. Again, tonight, we’ll cook on the Weber grill, steak for Tom, chicken breast for me, salad for both of us and rice for Tom. He’s found his digestive tract does better with rice than potatoes or other starchy side dishes.

In the past few days, I signed up for Kroger’s monthly delivery service, Boost. This service allows us to place orders over $35 without a delivery fee. The first month is free, and it’s $7.95 a month thereafter. l did a huge order this first time, but it was enough to last for over two weeks.

Groceries are much more expensive here than in South Africa, so this ample food supply was over $400. We budgeted $1000 a month for groceries here and originally planned to eat out twice a week. But after checking prices, we may dine out once a week and order takeaway on another night. We both enjoyed the Asian food we ordered a few nights ago.

Tomorrow, when we go out with Kristi and Kevin, we’ll take photos and share details of our first dinner in The Villages.

Thanks again to all of our readers for all the thoughtful messages and well wishes.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, May 7, 2013:

The Promenade is an actual street with shops, bars, and restaurants on Royal Caribbean Mariner of the Seas; as we began to sail through the Red Seas. For more photos, please click here.

Realities of life…

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Of course, we’d hope to be driving around exploring The Villages in the golf cart, attending social events, and dining out as soon as we were settled. We planned to go out to an entertainment event in Brownwood Square and then to dinner both last night and tonight.

As much as I tried to muster the energy and enthusiasm to go out, I just couldn’t bring myself to get ready to go and bounce around in the golf cart. I am still very weak after two awful bouts of Afib in a seven-day period and the hospital stay in South Africa only ten days ago.

Subsequently, we decided to stay in tonight to give me another few days to recover. Tom’s nephew Kevin and his wife, Kristi, will be here on Monday for a visit. I feel confident that by then, I’ll be ready to go out to dinner with them and enjoy the many upcoming social events that are filling the calendar.

This morning we did another long walk in the neighborhood that is a loop from our house and then back again. These walks are essential for regaining my strength, although they take everything I have to get through it.

Last night we ordered a takeaway dinner from an Asian restaurant. Tom had his usual sweet and sour pork along with pork fried rice, while I had steamed shrimp with vegetables, both of which were fresh and delicious. Tom has a lot of leftovers for tonight since he ordered large sizes, although I ate all of my single-serving entre. I already made a salad for myself for tonight and defrosted a chicken breast which we’ll cook later. Easy peasy.

As far as photos are concerned, right now, our supply of photos is severely lacking. Once we get out again, we’ll return to taking many pictures to share here on our posts. That time is only a few days from now. I feel bad we don’t have more to share right now. For now, this is our reality.

It would have been easy not to post at all until I am better, but after all that’s transpired in the past few weeks and several missed posts, I decided it was better to put a little something here rather than nothing at all.

Also, I was notified by several readers that they weren’t receiving automatic email notices of new posts. This has been an ongoing problem since we moved to Hostinger as our hosting company. They can’t seem to figure out a permanent solution. Our web guy suggested we change to a different hosting company, but after paying three years in advance, it made no sense to lose what we’d paid.

In the past few days, a resolution came through, and hopefully, everyone who’d signed up to receive the daily posts by email will continue to do so going forward. We apologize for this inconvenience. When readers don’t receive the auto emails, they often assume we aren’t posting when, in fact, we are. If this happens to you, please let me know by email. In the interim, if you make a bookmark for our site at www.worldwidewaftage.com, and then click on it, the new post will appear daily.

Alternatively, you can make an icon on your phone’s home screen or desktop and click it once a day to see the newest post. They automatically update daily immediately after I upload the latest post.

That’s all I’ve got for today, folks. Thanks for all the kind and generous well-wishes coming our way.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, May 6, 2013:

There were no photos posted on this date, one year ago. For the text-only post, please click here.

Part 4…last of the photos and info about our temporary home in The Villages, Florida…Socializing is beginning…

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This table in the screened lanai has been the perfect spot for us in the morning with coffee and the late afternoons with sundowners (if we so choose). The umbrella provides shade on sunny afternoons.

We haven’t had a TV in the bedroom in so long; we can’t recall. I go to bed an hour or two before Tom but prefer not to watch anything on the TV since it keeps me awake if I find a good show. Instead, I play with my phone until dozing off. I can’t believe I slept over ten hours last night, according to my Fitbit. I’m still feeling tired after my recent heart crisis.

Sofa and extra chair on the lanai, perfect for when visitors come.

This morning, we went for our walk after breakfast, and as much as I struggled to walk very far, we could double the distance we did yesterday. Upon returning to the house, I got two loads of laundry started. It’s fantastic to do laundry indoors and use a dryer, although I prefer to hang up my tops on a rack in the laundry room that may quickly wear out in the dryer over time.

Our social life begins tonight when we head out to a live entertainment venue in one of the village areas, which also has several restaurants nearby so we can dine after the live music. We’re hoping to meet people at the music event, but it’s entirely possible we won’t, and we’ve prepared ourselves for that possibility.

We tend to reach out to strangers, especially after being in Marloth Park for so long, where it’s always welcomed. However, we don’t know the nature of people here yet and may be pleasantly surprised or not. We’ll play it by ear and hope for the best.

Storage area in the garage, well stocked for use, as needed.

On Monday next week, Tom’s nephew Kevin and his wife Kristi are visiting us in the early afternoon. They won’t be staying overnight but plan to stay for an early dinner and would prefer to dine out than dine in. We were more than willing to make a nice dinner, but they insisted eating out would be fine since they wanted to experience the area as well. That makes it a lot easier for me, which right now is a plus since I’m not entirely back to feeling like usual.

On Friday next week, Karen and Rich are coming and staying overnight, and I will be cooking dinner. It will be a lot easier to prepare a meal in the air-conditioned comfort of this house than in the heat of South Africa, always with the challenge of batting off the flies that love to hover over any protein source during food prep. I’ll pace myself and take it easy.

Washer and dryer with plenty of supplies in the house’s laundry room.

Ah, I am well aware of all the conveniences here, although it doesn’t temper my enthusiasm to return to Marloth Park in 14 months. Every location has its pluses and minuses, and over the past ten years, we have learned to adapt to the circumstances wherever we may be.

My en suite bathroom with a roomy walk-in shower and loads of storage space.

Right now, I am following the activities of mating birds. I’ve yet to discover what type of birds they are, although I looked online extensively. They have a nest in a bush in the garden, close to the house, and they have chicks sitting in the nest waiting to be fed. We watch the parents head into the bush with a worm in their mouths and then hear the chicks chirping loudly the moment the parent reappears, which is very often.

Closet in the hallway. The top two shelves are products supplied by the owner, and the bottom two shelves are food products we added.

With Tom’s lousy hearing, he doesn’t hear the chirping, but I love every moment. I doubt we’ll see much other wildlife here unless an alligator walks down the road, which is known to happen.

Speaking of alligators, or shall I say crocodiles, there was a croc walking down a dirt road in Marloth Park a few days ago, and someone posted a video on Facebook. That reminded us how much we love the bush and that no modern conveniences will keep us away.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, May 5, 2013:

No photo was posted on this date while we had a poor signal on a cruise. For the story posted, please click here.