Using perks and points from Expedia…Interesting photos from a very old house in 2013…Head banging?…

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In Tuscany, this yet-to-be-baked homemade low-carb, gluten-free, grain-free, starch-free, and sugar-free pizza was made with “real” mozzarella (often referred to as buffalo mozzarella in the US) and locally grown ingredients. The stringiness factor was tripled from the pizza we’d made in the past using “manufactured” bagged shredded mozzarella, which we hope never to use again. It was our best pizza ever! I’d cut double the ingredients to make another freshly made pizza for tonight with no microwave for reheating. Nothing like two nights of freshly made pizza!

Today’s photos are from the date in 2013, in Boveglio, Tuscany, Italy, which we posted here.   

How quickly we forgot the nuances of the 300-year-old stone house in Italy. From today’s re-shared photos, you can easily see how much we had to adapt to living in this very old house. It was sometimes challenging, especially when the WiFi signal was so poor.

The electrical wiring throughout the house is exposed, using cloth instead of the conduit most of us are familiar with as a code requirement in the US and other countries. We doubt that building/code compliance inspectors travel around inspecting these centuries-old properties. As shown above, the primary lighting source in the kitchen is these two fixtures over the kitchen table, encased in glass globes. Energy-efficient as the “curly” energy-efficient bulbs we’d used in the US, this particular style takes approximately five minutes to light up the area, which can be a little tricky at night.

Ten years ago, we rented a device from a company in the US called MiFi. This company still exists but can’t do much business these days when good WiFi signals are available worldwide, even in some remote locations. Even in the bush in South Africa, we had no problem getting a good signal.

Sure, some parts of the world are so remote that a signal isn’t possible, but over the years, we haven’t continued to experience issues being online. When renting a hotel or holiday home, we always check to ensure they have free unlimited internet access.

Cloth-covered wiring over the sink in the kitchen.

Today, we rented a car for one day from the Expedia link on our site, found here. When our ship arrives in Boston on August 30, we needed a means of transportation from our hotel to Stoughton, where my cousin Phyllis lives, so we could all go out to dinner near her home.

Again, cloth-covered wiring near the shower in the main bathroom.

When researching transportation from our hotel to Stoughton, a 40-minute drive, we found the cost of taxis, Uber, or transportation companies to be as much as $400 for the round trip plus tips. Instead, with points we’ve accumulated and hadn’t used lately at Expedia, we could rent a car for a good price and drive ourselves to meet with Phyllis.

We both had to duck to go down the long hallway to the bedroom. We got used to saying, “Don’t bang your head.”

As it turned out, we had enough points left to use on Expedia to offset the cost of a car. This morning we booked the car, and all we had to pay after using our points was $9.88 for the one-day car rental. We couldn’t get this done quickly enough! once the details were paid and booked, we added the information to our free Cozi Calendar, as we do with all of our bookings.

Tom also had to duck his head when heading out to the tiny veranda from the guest bedroom.

We now have peace of mind knowing we completed one of the few remaining tasks necessary for our upcoming trip, as listed in a post two days ago here.

Also, we’d like to ask our readers to kindly consider using the links on our page to compare travel costs and perks. We make a small commission that helps cover a portion of the expenses for the maintenance of our site, and you’ll pay no more using the links than if you went to them on your own. Also, you may find you can save a lot of money using these links and accumulating perks and points.

This doorway to the main bathroom was cut to fit the low frame, requiring that we also duck when entering or leaving.

We figured out an easy plan to get the rental car when we’ll be coming from the port on August 30, not the airport, where we’ll have to go to pick up the car. We’ll get an Uber or taxi from the port to drive us to the airport.

Tom will jump out and leave me with the driver, who will drive me to the hotel with our bags. That way, we won’t have to take the bags to the airport. Then, Tom will pick up the car and drive to the hotel. Later in the day, we’ll make the drive to Stoughton to meet my cousin Phyllis for dinner.

This hole was cut on the outside of the house to allow for the water meter.

I asked Phyllis if she’d like us to pick her up. She’s about ten years older than me and may prefer to have us pick her up so she won’t have to drive home in the dark. If so, we won’t mind at all. It will be wonderful to see her. It’s been several years since we’ve seen Phyllis, and she and her two daughters are my only living relatives on the father’s side. As it turns out, I am the oldest living relative on my mother’s side of the family. How did that ever happen? Where did the time go?

Tonight, we’re heading to Brownwood Paddock Square for the evening. It’s been raining off and on all morning, but it looks like it will be clearing by the time we leave at 5:00 pm.

Be well.

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

The heating elements in the 300-year-old stone house in Tuscany. The radiators are behind these hanging curtains in the long hallway. Hmmm…For more, please click here.

Fabulous night out…Finally found an excellent restaurant with good food…

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This was my delicious salad with eight grilled scallops grilled to perfection, without oil, and with sour cream for dressing on the side. I only used half of one of the little containers of sour cream.

With all the company and get-togethers we’ve had since we arrived in The Villages two months ago, we hadn’t gotten into a routine of our nights out with just the two of us. In Marloth Park, we went to Jabula on both Friday and Saturday nights and loved the routine of it. We always had a great evening, with good food and socializing with owners Dawn and Leon and the many patrons that arrived during the evening.

That scenario is challenging to duplicate. Instead, we’re now enjoying somewhat of a routine of going to Brownwood Paddock Square, the closest and most accessible town square for us in The Villages. The other squares are much further, and riding in the golf cart for the over 90 minutes round trip hasn’t appealed to us.

The atmosphere in Cody’s Original Roadhouse is cluttered but fun and festive.

In essence, the squares are very similar in their design. We’ve carefully perused the menus of all the restaurants in the three main village squares and concluded that Cody’s Original Roadhouse is the best restaurant for our tastes and my dietary restrictions.

Not only is the festive environment appealing to both of us, but the vast selection of menu options is particularly appealing. However, I am so enjoying their entree salads; it will be hard for me to select other options, especially after last night’s salad, as shown here, with eight decent-sized grilled scallops, were delicious.

Customers seemed to enjoy their food, as we did.

We started the evening at the bar at City Fire American Oven and Bar. We’ve dined there about three times and weren’t impressed with the options for my way of eating and Tom’s tastes. We decided we won’t eat there again, although the atmosphere indoors, seated at a booth in air-conditioned comfort with excellent service, is quite good.

This coming Wednesday, we’ll try again to go to bingo at City Fire at 3:00 pm. We wanted to go the past few weeks, but when it rained heavily each Wednesday, we decided not to chance it and drive the golf cart in the wind, rain, and lightning.

We lucked out and got a booth. We had a great time chatting, as always.

Last evening, while seated at the bar at City Fire, we met a lovely real estate agent, Poppy. We talked at length, and I explained that we’d like to do a story about real estate for sale in The Villages. We asked Poppy if she’d show us some houses enabling us to take photos and write about our observations in a post.

Tom couldn’t resist eating these warm squishy buns but wasn’t keen on the cinnamon-flavored and sweetened butter. A bottomless salad accompanies most entrees, but he only ate this portion of salad with his entree.

We also explained we were not interested in buying a house and our motives for looking at a few homes, and she was totally fine with this concept. After the Fourth of July holiday, next Tuesday, we’ll hopefully hear from her and set up a time to visit a few homes. Hopefully, she’ll contact me soon to set up an appointment.

We also chatted with a man whose wife passed away over a year ago and was going on his first date next Friday. We encouraged him to have a great time as he asked for a few pointers. I suggested he take off his wedding ring, but some may disagree with this idea. We hope to see John again before we leave and hear how his date went.

Tom ordered this chopped sirloin steak in a mushroom gravy with mashed potatoes. He thoroughly enjoyed it.

By 7:00 pm, we headed to dinner at Cody’s, and as mentioned above and shown in today’s photos, we had an excellent time, and by 9:00 pm, we were back at the house. They roll up the sidewalks by 10:00 pm in The Villages, with most bars and restaurants closing between 9 and 10 pm, even on the weekends.

We’re off again tonight for another evening out. We’ll see what Saturday night brings in The Villages.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, July 1, 2013:

Today, on an exploring and invigorating walk, we found ourselves closer to the larger two clock towers for a better view of the cemetery on the church grounds. For more photos, please click here.

We have our passport renewals in hand!…Summer solstice today…

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Photo from one year ago today from this post. When Bad Ear walked along the dirt road, as soon as I call him, he makes a sharp turn and came to visit. It only took him a few days to learn the sound of my voice and his name.

Our passports arrived last week, but preoccupied with topics on past posts; we hadn’t mentioned we had received both passports by FedEx. What a relief! It’s good that we came to the US to accomplish this task, and now we’re good for another ten years. We’d considered ordering second passports while here; however, the amount of paperwork left us anxious for a break.

Sometime in the future, when we return to the US for an extended period, we’ll tackle that job. Next, we will renew our driver’s licenses in Nevada in September, as mentioned in past posts, and we’ll have these two big tasks out of the way.

Today, again, we’ll review all the countries we’ll be visiting beginning in August to ensure we don’t need to apply for any visas while we’re still in the US. Once that’s out of the way, we can sigh with relief and know that almost everything is in order. The only additional task is to sign up for travel insurance a week before we depart since the cruise line requires it, and we feel more at ease having emergency insurance while sailing and visiting other countries.

We’ll only sign up for the insurance a week before departure. I have our Cozi Calendar marked to remind me. Also, since we’ll only be outside the US from July 29 to September 1, we’ll only order the insurance for that period since the insurance doesn’t cover our time in the US, and we’ll be visiting family for about a month.

Then, when we head to South America around October 1, we’ll order the insurance again in three-month increments while we’re there. At this point, our goal is to return to South Africa on June 15, 2024, but we may decide to return sooner, depending on how much we’re enjoying the time in South America.

Big Daddy kudus and impalas in the garden, one year ago today.

As always, when possible, our plans are fluid. We love having the option to make changes if we desire when a location isn’t fulfilling our goals and objectives. We can do so now that airlines are more flexible about allowing flight changes. When it comes to booked holiday homes, there are penalties for cancellations in most cases.

As a result, we plan only to book a few months at a time while we’re in South America and remain able to book the unique locations that appeal to us the most in between holiday home rentals. This way, we don’t have to pay for a holiday home while on other adventures.

Again today, we planned to drive the golf cart to Brownwood to play bingo at City Fire American Oven and Bar at 3:00 pm. With stormy weather predicted all day, we don’t feel it makes sense to drive with the prospect of rain and winds, especially when the golf cart doesn’t have windshield wipers. It’s been raining in the past 24 hours, pretty hard at times.

Instead, we’ll stay in and order Chinese food for tonight and tomorrow. I love the steamed dishes and egg foo young, while Tom is a big fan of sweet and sour dishes and fried rice. Today, we ordered off the lunch menu and reheat the food at dinner time. Doing so saved almost $30 when ordering enough for two nights.

Chinese food is such a treat for us when it hasn’t been available to us for the past several years, except for the few times we’ve been in the US. We also like Mexican food, but it doesn’t seem easy to order it appropriately for my way of eating unless we dine in a Mexican restaurant. I can easily explain how it should be prepared for me, which we’ve only done once since we arrived here.

We’re fine staying in again today during the inclement weather. We’re as content as we could be. Today is the summer solstice as described here: “The summer solstice, also called the estival solstice or midsummer, occurs when one of Earth’s poles has its maximum tilt toward the Sun. It happens twice yearly, once in each hemisphere.”

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, June 21, 2013:

There were no photos posted ten years ago, but there is a post about an earthquake we experienced in Italy ten years ago on this date. Please click here.

More fun times with friends in The Villages…

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We’ve had a great time with friends Lea Ann and Chuck.

Lea Ann and Chuck arrived at the house exactly at 3:00 pm as planned. It was wonderful to see them. Although we’ve talked and stayed in touch via social media over the years, we haven’t seen them in six years. How time has flown! As mentioned in yesterday’s post, we met them on a cruise in 2017 on a cruise from Sydney to Seattle.

We’d only spent a few hours with them since the cruise was about to end, but the four of us hit it off and stayed in touch. When they arrived yesterday, we picked up right where we left off, and the conversation flowed easily and enthusiastically.

Us, last night at the Blue Fin while waiting for an indoor table with Lea Ann and Chuck.

As frequent world travelers, they both had similar stories to ours, although they have a home in Florida. They thanked us for encouraging them to embark on their travel journey and have spent a lot of time in places we’ve visited in the past. They even stayed in the house next door to the holiday home we rented in a remote area of Bali in 2016, loving the experience we had as well.

We’ll be anxious to hear about their nine-month world cruise beginning in December, which we discussed in yesterday’s post. They are very excited about this unique opportunity.

We get a kick out of customized golf carts.

We sat in the living room and chatted for an hour or so and then headed to Brownwood, where we once again went to the Blue Fin for dinner, a repeat after Friday night when Karen and Rich were here. Since it was Father’s Day and the restaurant was packed, we had a long wait to get a table but sat outdoors on their veranda, having a great time, and each had a drink while we waited for a table indoors.

We were finally seated indoors. It was hot and humid outdoors after the previous day’s rainstorm, and we all agreed that dining indoors would be more comfortable, and it certainly was.

My dinner was a shrimp salad. It was ok. I don’t like curly lettuce like this.

Back at the house by 8:30 pm, we served dessert, and again, the four of us lounged in the living room, telling endless stories of our travels, including some outrageous experiences that are unavoidable during long travels. It was interesting to hear their similar ups and downs, knowing we weren’t alone in the challenges one meets traveling long term.

By 11:30, I started fading and headed to bed, and Tom joined me about an hour later while the three of them continued the lively conversation. I wished I could have stayed up longer. As I write here at almost 10:00 am, Lea Ann and Chuck are still sleeping. As soon as they awaken, we’ll make breakfast.

Lea Ann and Chuck both had the grouper topped with crab and a white sauce.

This afternoon, they’ll be back on the road to return to their home in Dunedin, which is a two-hour drive from here. Once again, we’ve had a fantastic time with friends. In the past 24 hours, I heard from my dear friend Lisa whom we haven’t seen since 2017. On Friday, she and her friend Vicki are heading here for a visit.

Lisa and I have been friends for about 35 years, meeting in the late 1980s. Over the years, we, too, have stayed in touch, and it will be wonderful to see her again and meet her friend Vicki.

We haven’t had much of an opportunity to get together with all of the readers who contacted us. We apologize for this. We assumed we’d have plenty of time to do so, but time has slipped away as it often does. In only 39 days, we’ll be on our way to Scotland. How wonderful that we’re so enjoying our time here and yet, have so much awaiting us in the future.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, June 19, 2013:

My bathroom in the 300-year-old stone house in Boveglio, Italy, where we stayed for three months. Tom took the smaller bathroom in our bedroom. There’s no tub, and the shower is small, but it serves its purpose. For more photos, please click here.

Rained out…Photos of Istanbul…Ten years ago…

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Note: Due to some unknown WiFi issue today, I cannot properly format captions and spacing in the text. Sorry for the inconvenience.

Last night, we’d planned to go to dinner at Havana Country Club, but when it was raining with lightning and high winds, we realized it wouldn’t be safe to make the 15-minute golf cart ride in such awful conditions. Instead, we decided to order takeaway from the Chinese restaurant we love, Sunrise Asian.

Yesterday, I received a  coupon as an Amazon Prime member for free delivery from Grubhub for the next 12 months. What a deal! I’d signed up for the coupon but didn’t realize we’d be using it so soon. After placing the order, as shown below:

Roast Pork Fried Rice Quart $8.70+

Sweet and Sour Pork Quart $10.85+

Shrimp Egg Foo Young Omelet with shellfish. $13.95+

Steamed Shrimp with Mixed Vegetables $16.95

Total cost: $64.03

This seemed expensive for getting takeaway, but we’d ordered enough to last two nights. My steamed dish was small, so I ate all the prawns and left half of the vegetables. This morning I cooked eight jumbo prawns that I had in the freezer and added them to the leftover vegetables to have plenty of that dish with the other half of the egg foo young (I don’t use the sauce). Tom eats pork fried rice and sweet and sour pork.
 Today is easy when I only have to wash and dry the bedding. Tom always helps re-making the bed. We didn’t walk this morning since Tom likes to watch CBS “Sunday Morning,” it was sweltering outside after the show ended. The temperature is only about 88F, but the dew point is 80, higher than we’d experienced in South Africa, and the pollen count is high today.
Yes, the Covid headache returned after I stopped taking that drug that caused me to have Afib, only days before we left South Africa and ended up in hospital. After another incident on the plane, lasting six hours of sheer terror on the 17-hour flight, I went on a rampage trying to figure out what caused the Afib.
What a view of Istanbul! For more photos, please click here.

Part 1…What fun at Brownwood Paddock Square with friends!…

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Last night it was fun going out to dinner with Carol and Mark at the Blue Fin Bar & Grill in Brownwood Paddock Square in The Villages.

When it was raining hard mid-afternoon, we were concerned our plans for the evening would be dashed since we’d planned to be outdoors for part of the time. Much to our delight, the sun returned shortly before we were ready to leave, and we were off for our plans.

Arriving at Brownwood Paddock Square with the sun shining, we found a good spot in the parking lot and walked several blocks through the square to easily find the restaurant and four open barstools at the outdoor bar. We plopped down comfortably, ordered drinks, and enjoyed lively conversation and people-watching.

Our friends from Boca Raton, Mark, and Carol. They are visiting us for three nights. We’re having an excellent time with them.

For the first time in four weeks, I had white wine, a crisp Pinot Grigio, always one of my favorite white wines. I always prefer red but had decided to start cautiously, not knowing if I’d react and my heart would race. Nothing happened. Checking my pulse on my Fitbit every so often, I noticed that my pulse stayed in the 60s. Slowly I sipped the wine and ended up having a second glass with dinner.

The outdoor bar at the Blue Fin Bar &. Grill. We had a great time enjoying our drinks.

The only problem I ran into drinking the wine was that it caused me to have a fitful night’s sleep. Maybe I should take that as a warning that wine is no longer for me. I can have a fitful night’s sleep without wine. We shall see how it goes in the future.

A couple sitting beside us at the bar ordered this sushi and the other appetizers below.

The dinner was delicious but not perfect, but the service and ambiance were excellent. Indeed, in the next few months, we’ll return for dinner or drinks at the bar. The atmosphere outdoors was lively and friendly. Tom suggested we try new further locations in The Villages while we have a car (until May 30). I agreed that was a good idea. Even after dark, we can always use the golf cart to get to and from Brownwood Paddock Square.

Their bowl of clam chowder.

There were tons of golf carts everywhere in the square, many of which would return to their houses in the dark. It feels incredibly safe here, and we’re not worried at all.

A small rib appetizer was ordered by the people next to us.

With Carol and Mark still here this morning, I made another breakfast of cheesy scrambled eggs, onion and bacon bits, and a big side of bacon. I assumed they ate somewhat like we do for some goofy reason, so I failed to buy bread, jelly, pancake ingredients, syrup, and orange juice. When I’d asked if they ate bread or potatoes with dinner and they said they did not, it was the basis from which I assumed they were keto or low carb.

Tom’s dinner of fish and chips. He said it was good, but the chips were a little overdone. I had grilled ahi tuna atop a Caesar salad without dressing or croutons (no photo shown).

Next time we have houseguests, I will be more specific about the foods they prefer with meals. We haven’t had a lot of overnight guests in the past several years, so I’m a little rusty at this. We always want our guests to have access to the foods they enjoy.

Carol and Mark left an hour ago to go to a car museum about a 30-minute drive from here. I was busy doing the post and preparing all the toppings and ingredients for tonight’s pizza and salad dinner. Thus, I was unable to go with them. Tom decided to stay with me offering help with the time-consuming process of preparing this big meal. We had to change our bedding and go to the local post office.

Carol’s dinner of grilled ahi tuna and bacon-roasted Brussels sprouts.

Snail mail from the United States Postal Service doesn’t necessarily come to the house here. There are some items that we need that I am ordering from Amazon. If the Amazon truck typically delivers packages, no problem. They will deliver to us. But, some products at Amazon are sent via other sellers by USPS, which are delivered to the local postal service centers. This was a problem for us since we couldn’t access the mailbox at the service center.

A few days ago,  I contacted the owner, and she agreed to let us use the mailbox as needed for any packages sent by USPS. After Carol and Mark left for the museum this morning, we went to the postal center to inform them that it was okay to receive mail for us. Then, if a package comes, we can pick it up, or they will deliver it to the house between 12:00 and 2:00 pm.

Mark’s ahi tuna, rice, and bacon-roasted Brussels sprouts, with sauce, on the side.

It’s required that patrons speak to the postal people through the mailbox opening. Quite peculiar. I’d found the key where the owner said she left it and talked to the person through the hole, explaining we’ll receive a few packages while we’re here until the end of July. Now I can rest easy and place my waiting Amazon order. Ah, the little things…

More photos will follow tomorrow from our outing last night.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, May 22, 2013:

There were no photos posted on this date. For the text portion of the post, please click here.

Having a fabulous time with friends visiting from Boca Raton..

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Ten years ago today…Normally, big cities don’t appeal to us.  Dubai is unique with its opulence, its wealth, its excess, and its clean, safe streets. See the post here.

Note: New photos coming tomorrow. Thank you for your patience.

I met my friend Carol in 1985 in a bar in Bloomington, Minnesota, the same bar where I met Tom in 1991. No, I wasn’t a barfly, but I occasionally went out with friends after work to this fun establishment that is now long gone. On that particular night, I was there with several female friends.

When I went to the bar to order a drink, I noticed a woman standing there, appearing alone. I asked her if she wanted to join my friends and me at our table. Oddly, we became fast friends under those circumstances and have been in touch since then. She was a commercial airline pilot before she retired about the same time as Tom, over ten years ago. I loved her independence, daring nature, and enthusiasm for living life to the fullest.

We visited her in Florida on a few occasions, where she eventually made her permanent home in a beautiful house on the intercoastal waterway. Once I met Tom in 1991, coincidentally at the same establishment, she also became his friend.

Over the years, she visited us at our home in Minnesota, and since we began traveling, we had an opportunity to meet up with her twice, once when we first began our journey, staying at her home for a few nights, and again in 2017 during a short stint in Florida, while awaiting a cruise.

We could see the entrance to our 91-story building, Elite Residence, in Dubai, UAE, but couldn’t seem to get to it due to construction on all sides. Finally, we found the entrance.

When we knew we were coming to Florida this time, we definitely planned to see Carol and meet her boyfriend of the past three years, Mark, who is a great guy, and we’ve thoroughly enjoyed his company as well. Since we don’t have a car here regularly, we planned for them to visit us in The Villages, a two-hour drive from their home in Boca Raton.

It was delightful to see them drive up yesterday afternoon when they arrived before 2:00 pm, and the afternoon and evening hours flew by as we sat around the house, enjoying lively conversation. At happy hour, we sat outdoors on the lanai with a few snacky items and drinks, finally heading indoors for dinner around 7:30 pm.

Luckily, I had prepped most of the dinner the previous day and was able to put everything together, cook the meal, set the table, and be ready to serve when they all came indoors. Again, the conversation flowed easily while we enjoyed our chicken stir-fry dinner with fluffy white rice.

I’d decided to make a stir-fry again since it worked well when friends Karen and Rich were here over a week ago. When guests visit, it’s an easy meal to prep when all the vegetables and chicken can be cut in advance, letting the chicken marinate in Asian spices overnight. Once again, the cake was a big hit.

Tonight, we’re heading to Brownwood Paddock Square for the late afternoon and evening. We’ll be dining at the Bluefin Grill and Bar in the town square after we check out the live band in the square starting at 5:00 pm. From there, we’ll walk to the restaurant, a short distance, for our 7:15 reservation. Of course, we’ll take photos of our evening out and begin sharing them in tomorrow’s post.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago, May 21, 2013:

The Burj Khalifa is the tallest building in the world, which we’ll visit soon. Our cab driver showed us a video on his phone of the 40-second elevator ride to the observation deck on the 124th floor. For more photos, please click here.

Company’s coming!…Busy cooking day!…Making an old-fashioned dinner…

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The boat took off after unloading the two security personnel and the black boxes. Awakening Tom, he bolted out of bed, running to the window to peek out. Seeing the light, he cautiously opened the balcony door only to discover that the cabin next to us had not followed security protocol by having their drapes wide open and lights turned on. See the post here.

Note: The above photo is from this date in 2013 while we were sailing on a ship, soon to enter the Gulf of Aden, known for pirate attacks.

Today, for our new guests coming for dinner, we decided to make what we’d planned to make on Mother’s Day; baked ham, cheesy potatoes, green bean casserole, salad, and lemon pineapple poke cake for dessert. This morning I bolted out of bed and got busy making the cake.

I’ll start baking the ham about an hour and a half before dinner. So far, by 10:00 am, I had the cake baked, the salad made, and the first stage of the green bean casserole. Later,  after our guests arrive, I finish the cheesy potatoes and have them ready to go into the oven with the green beans, allowing time for sundowners on the veranda.

I can only eat ham and salad, but I am OK with this. Tom will enjoy leftovers for the next few days until our next guests arrive on Saturday, when we’ll make another Asian dish for dinner.

When I serve the cake, I’ll have  Fage Greek Yogurt, topped with a dollop of Cool Whip, products we haven’t been able to purchase for years. Tom loves a few cake recipes with Cool Whip, which I plan to make for him while we’re here. His weight is as low as it’s been in years, and with no health problems, he can indulge in some of his favorites while here. Besides, I enjoy making them for him, especially the easy desserts.

On this date in 2013, we were about to enter the Gulf of Aden, dangerous waters at times plagued with pirates boarding both cargo and passenger ships.

We can purchase countless products here that we haven’t been able to buy in South Africa and other countries we’ve visited over the years. Finding these products at the market and when we shop online is fun. Yesterday, we stopped in a Publix supermarket to easily find all the cake ingredients.

I purchased two batches of ingredients for the cake to make a second cake for the weekend when our friends Carol and Mark are here for three nights. That way, we’ll have plenty of dessert to get us through the time they are here. I don’t know if they eat desserts, but if they don’t, Tom won’t have any trouble savoring it for days.

We just returned from our walk. We’ve been walking for about two months, minus the days I was in hospital, the week afterward, and the days we traveled. I had trouble with the pain in my legs after standing in the kitchen for a few hours, making the walk tedious. I continue to hope that, over time, the pain in my legs will subside, but no luck so far.

We also missed walking several days after we arrived here when I wasn’t feeling well after the Afib episode on the plane. We’re back on track and haven’t missed a day since we started again. This Sunday, we’ll have been in The Villages for three weeks and have developed a lovely daily routine. Regardless of any challenges we may experience in our daily lives, we always appreciate the simple things.

We’re thoroughly enjoying the socialization and look forward to many more get-togethers in the future. Plus, we always enjoy our alone time together, day after day. We are truly blessed.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, May 17, 2013:

As we sailed closer to the Gulf of Aden, a British boat approached to drop off the “soldiers” who brought “the packages” aboard to protect the ship and its passengers from pirates in the same area. The movie ” Captain Phillips” was a true story about pirates taking over a vessel in this area. For more on this story, 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.

A thoughtful and unique gift for me from a friend…

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Sindee gave Tom this personalized bottle of South African-made Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot for me. How thoughtful she is! Thank you, Sindee!!!

Yesterday, our friend Sindee whose husband Bruce passed away several months ago, with whom we’ve stayed in close touch, sent a text asking if we could pick her up at the bus stop last night around 7:00 pm, 1900 hrs. after visiting family in Johannesburg over the school holiday and returning by bus. Many locals use this bus service to get to the big city, which is a five or six-hour drive from here.

Sindee is the principal at a school in Komatipoort and had time off during the recent school holiday to visit family. We were happy to pick her up. We’d have an early dinner, and Tom would pop out in plenty of time to meet her at the petrol station in the Marlothi Shopping Centre.

He suggested that I stay behind since the car is tiny, and this way, Sindee could sit in the front seat. She is taller than me, and the legroom in the back seat is minimal, to say the least. I was happy to stay behind, I ended up talking to my son Greg on the phone on Whatsapp (free calls worldwide), and the time went by quickly until he returned a short time later.

The same four zebras stopped by again this morning.

When Tom walked in the door, he handed me the above-shown bottle of red wine, a Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot, one of my favorites. I’ll savor one glass per evening since its alcohol content is 13%. I usually drink very low-alcohol wine since I don’t tolerate higher-content alcohol. Don’t get me wrong, I love regular red wine with normal alcohol levels, but if I drink the higher content alcohol, I can’t sleep at night and easily get a hangover. So I limit myself to one glass.

Right now, we’re trying to use everything in the freezer, refrigerator, and cupboards, and we’re doing a fine job. Yesterday, I noticed two bags of unsweetened frozen strawberries in the freezer I had purchased to make smoothies for Tom. When he never wanted a smoothie, the strawberries remained in the freezer.

I looked up some keto recipes online and found a quick and easy recipe for a keto strawberry cake topped with keto cream cheese frosting. I doubled the recipe making two layers, one plain without frosting for Tom and the other with a thin layer of keto frosting for me. Each evening, after dinner, we’ll each have a little slice of our cake which is low in carbs and calories.

Several blue waxbills stopped by to partake of the seeds Tom placed on the tray.

The two layers came out perfectly, and the cake appears moist. I frosted my layer and placed both layers in the refrigerator on separate plates since they will be kept for about a week. Moments ago, we took chicken out of the freezer to defrost in the fridge overnight, enough for the next two nights, both breasts and thighs, which we’ll roast on the braai to have with salad and rice for Tom.

Tomorrow morning, if the weather is good, we’ll head to Kruger National Park, which is the last time we’ll go before we depart on April 29, a mere 18 days from today. The days are passing quickly. I’ve yet to start packing the bags we’ll t us and the bins we’ll leave behind until we return in 14 months that Louise will store for us.

If we go to Kruger, we’ll do so after our walk but before breakfast, which we’ll wait and have at the Mugg & Bean in Lower Sabie for our final time.

All of the friends we invited to our farewell party poolside at Jabula on April 20 have RSVP’d that they will attend. How lucky is that? We’re thrilled.

Be well.

Photo from one year ago today, April 11, 2022:

Tom and I were wearing silent disco headsets listening to two different songs, smiling and laughing all the while. Such fun! For more photos, please click here.