A strange visitor in the garden…

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Excuse the jittery video above. I had difficulty trying to edit it, so I decided to go ahead and post it regardless. Tom was talking to his daughter Tammy in Minnesota while attempting to hold the camera with his free hand, and it recorded their conversation. At least you can get the gist of what he was trying to accomplish.

After being exposed to snakes in Marloth Park, South Africa, it never occurred to us that we’d see much wildlife here. We’d hoped to see an alligator and some exciting birds but never anticipated seeing a snake. we laughed about the fact that we have a snake living in the garden while in The Village, Florida.

The snake likely lives here because the backyard is fenced with cement walls. There are numerous opportunities for it to find food. We’ve seen the snake several times but had only one chance to take the jittery video.

We had a gecko trapped in the screened lanai and could not catch it. There was nothing for it to eat in the enclosed area. We put down water for it, but it was looking fragile. When Carol, Mark, and Tom were sitting at the table on the lanai, Carol was able to catch it and put it outside to hopefully flourish. Between the snake, the gecko, and some birds, this is all the wildlife we’ve seen so far.

It feels good that I don’t have much to do today. Last week, the property manager installed the new computer, and we can now use the printer. We’ve promised to get back to work on our passport application since our online appointment is on June 20, and we’d like to have this done and out of the way.

We have plenty of leftovers tonight, and I won’t have to cook, which adds to the easiness of the day. This morning we embarked on the walk we’d missed for a few days, returned to have breakfast, and then settled in to do the post and some work on our laptops.

Today, I’ll do a new online Kroger grocery order, with the order arriving sometime tomorrow. We only need a few items after grocery shopping often in the past few weeks. I enjoy putting the online order together. Go figure. It shouldn’t be that fun, but it is. It’s one of many things I haven’t been able to do for the past few years, and it’s a pleasure.

We have a busy rest of the week planned. We have movie night at Sumter Paddock Landing tomorrow with Linda and Burt. Friday, we’re heading to see Donna, Karen’s mother, who lives a short distance from us, bringing her Chinese food for lunch and having a few-hour visit. Saturday, we’re going on a boat ride and picnic with Linda and Burt on the river.

We’ll likely lay low on Sunday, and more activities will ensue. I still need to call a ton of people on the list of those that have contacted us to get together, but we need a little break from all the activity for a few days before we start booking more social activities.

Do we miss Marloth Park? I think about it many times daily, but we’re both wrapped up in the easy life in The Villages, enjoying the moment. In no time at all, we’ll be back in Africa.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, May 24, 2013

Check out these cherry tomatoes in Dubai, still on the vines. They looked as if each one had been hand polished. It was a pleasure just looking at them. For more photos, please click here.

Part 2…What fun at Brownwood Paddock Square with friends!…

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Brownwood Paddock Square, where live entertainment starts daily at 5:00 pm, and sometimes people dance in the square. We plan to return to sit in those bleachers and watch the activity.

After three days and nights with us, Carol and Mark left a few minutes ago to begin their drive back to Boca Raton, Florida, about four hours away. We had a great time with both of them. After lots of cooking and food prep, having an easy day today will feel good with little to no tasks other than washing sheets, towels, and other laundry.

Many people crowded around, taking photos of these two men with parrots on their arms and shoulders.

Last night was enjoyable. After our homemade pizza dinner and salad, we all sat at the table, drank delicious red wine, laughed, and told stories. For the first time since my heart event weeks ago, I drank regular red wine, not low alcohol, and had no ill effects.

I slept enough and felt fine this morning. After sipping a few glasses of the delicious Cabernet Sauvignon over several hours, there was no racing heart or hangover. Now, I know the allergy pill caused the Afib and put me in hospital for three days, four days before we departed South Africa.

Restaurants and other businesses surround the square.

There are few foods or drinks that I can consume with my keto way of eating, and red wine has been a favorite. Not one to overindulge, I can allow myself a bit of red wine when socializing.

There’s a bar at the square for those who want a drink while watching the live entertainment.

We have no plans until Thursday when we’ll return to Lake Sumter Landing for another movie night with Linda and Burt. On Saturday, we are going on a river on Burt’s pontoon boat. We’re looking forward to seeing them and others who’ve contacted us about getting together. But it’s amazing how time is slipping away. We’ve been busy with guests the past few weeks and enjoy every moment.

We’ve had many readers write to us commenting about The Villages and how much there is to do here. Having a car for the next nine days will keep us all the more active since, let’s face it, it’s easier to get around in a car than a golf cart. But we couldn’t justify spending thousands of dollars on a rental car when we can use the house’s golf cart.

There’s Carol and Mark in front of us as we neared the Bluefin Grill & Bar.

We have all the time in the world and will plan ahead when getting together with others to ensure we are always on time. So what if it takes a little longer to get where we’re going? In a pinch for directions, we can always use “Maps” to get us to where we want to go. Although tricky and sometimes inaccurate, the app on my phone helps with the golf cart trails.

We didn’t know why the dancers were wearing blue robes. Any comments?

Yesterday, I placed an order at Amazon and was curious to see if the package will be delivered directly to the house or the nearby mail station. We shall see how that goes.

A short time ago, I started preparing a new online food order from Kroger. The cart stays on their site for two weeks, but each time I think of something we need, I put it into the site’s cart, making it easy when I finally place the order, knowing I haven’t forgotten anything. I have no doubt we’ll need to place another order in the next week after all the company we’ve had.

Some visitors to the area brought along camp chairs to sit wherever they liked.

The buzzer just went off for the washer. It’s time to load everything into the dryer and start another load. It’s a good day; we’re both content and reveling in every moment.

Be well.

 Photo from ten years ago today, May 23, 2013:

Again today, the air is thick, and the sky is overcast. The smog and sand are evident in this photo we took from our rental of Atlantis at Palm Jumeriah. 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.

Part 2…Movie Night in The Villages with friends…Friends coming today for three nights…Medical update…

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Tom stood outside the movie theatre moments before we entered.

I made another exact cake I made a few days ago for Wednesday’s dinner guests. I’d purposely purchased two of everything for the cakes. Tom finished it off last night. It was a busy morning with friends Carol and Mark arriving soon, staying for three nights. They are driving from Boca Raton, Florida, and are expected to arrive around 1:40 pm based on a message I received from Carol a few minutes ago.

Before we headed out to the market this morning for ice and a few more items, the cake was out of the oven cooling for the layers of frosting I just added when it completely cooled. Everything for tonight’s dinner is prepped except last-minute cooking and serving.

We finally know our way to the market without using the Maps app. We’re finally learning our way around, especially now that we have a car for the next ten days. Food is expensive in the US, as I’ve mentioned many times in the past. Every quick trip to the store here ends up costing no less than $100.

There are countless bars and restaurants in each of the town squares. Golf carts are everywhere!

Right now, since my heart events, I haven’t been drinking wine, thinking the sulfites in the wine may have been instrumental in precipitating the events, although I only drank low-alcohol wine and small amounts in any one sitting. After extensive research, I found that sulfites in wine may be very high in low-alcohol wine, both white and red.

I’ve always known I was sensitive to sulfites when I had allergy symptoms when eating dried food in my old life, which I haven’t had in the past 12 years. I never had a specific reaction to wine other than knowing that I could only drink a small amount or end up awake all night. I’ve always enjoyed a glass of wine during sundowners or dinner and lately haven’t had any.

Instead, we purchased a bottle of Bombay Gin, and on a few occasions, I’ve had one tablespoon of the gin with a diet tonic and fresh lime. I’ve yet to drink more than two of these gin and tonics for a maximum of two tablespoons in an evening with no ill effect.

Lazy Mac’s Taco Shack and Tequila Bar has half off beer, wine, and margaritas from 3 to 5 daily. This restaurant is located in the movie theatre building. See their website here.

You may say, why bother to drink at all? I’m a light-weight social drinker and enjoy a little something when socializing. However, I still don’t know for sure if the sulfites caused the horrible Afib that put me in the hospital less than four weeks ago and occurred again while on the 17-hour flight from Joburg to Atlanta. I hadn’t had any alcohol at the airport or on the four days after getting out of hospital before we flew away.

As I scoured medical reports online for days, I accidentally encountered a scientific report stating that women over 60 may develop Afib from taking an allergy medication I’d been taking for a little over a month when the events occurred. After considerable research, I wondered if sulfites were, in fact, the culprit. But I continued to research, not 100% sure it was the sulfites.

After digging deeper, I am convinced the prescription non-drowsy antihistamine I was taking was causing the cardiac events. Immediately, I stopped taking the drug several days ago and noticed my pulse has reduced considerably along with my blood pressure in the past few days since the drug is now out of my system.

No doctor has the time to research rare side effects for every drug they prescribe to every patient. I don’t blame the doctor or the pharmacist for such a relatively rare occurrence, which is most prevalent in patients who have asthma, are female, are over 60, and have coronary artery disease, all of which applies to me. I am now convinced that the drug was the cause.

Every afternoon, they have live entertainment, including comedy acts.

However, it’s still vague about the sulfites in wine. As a wine lover, I don’t like giving it up entirely, and there are few sulfite-free wines on the market in the US, let alone in other countries. It may end up being a “trial and errors” process of trying a small amount of wine and seeing what happens. It may have been a combination of the drug with the sulfites. I’ll only know if I try again to drink regular wine in moderation, which I always did anyway.

Do not use my personal experiences as a point of reference. My research found that low-alcohol wine, predominantly white, has more sulfites than regular red wine. If any of this may apply to you, please contact your medical professionals for assistance.

The medical profession doesn’t know everything. Tom always says that’s why they call it “practicing medicine.” We all have the choice to do our own research, not from unreliable non-medical resources and internet chatter but from reliable resources, as mentioned above. Plus, some of us may have a rare reaction to a specific drug resulting in severe consequences.

Many popular chain restaurants in The Villages, such as Johnny Rockets in Sumter Landing.

One only needs to watch the endless commercials for prescription drugs on TV to see the risks many drugs pose to certain people. Most of these warnings are terrifying. And many of these drugs may save lives. It’s up to each person to be their own advocate or, if not possible, to assign this responsibility to a loved one willing to do the work and then present their evidence to their medical professionals, who may or may not agree with the findings.

That’s enough from me today. We’ll be back tomorrow with more and will continue to post with our friends here.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, May 20, 2013:

This was the final “towel animal” on the bed on our last night on Royal Caribbean Mariner of the Seas. It was an exciting cruise, and we loved every moment. For more, please click here.

Part 1…Movie Night in The Villages with friends…

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There are roughly 78 different villages within The Villages and growing. Villages range from 100 homes to 1550 homes (Duval is the largest with 1550). The Villages property area covers 32 square miles and is growing through recent small acquisitions. There are approximately 90 miles of golf cart paths.

When we left for the 6:00 pm movie at the Old Mill Playhouse at 5;15, planning on having plenty of time to get there, we programmed my phone on The Village’s driving app. While driving, we got sidetracked talking about the scenery and went the wrong way.

In no time at all, we corrected our position and arrived in plenty of time for the movie, entitled “Love Again,” which was without a doubt a “chick flick,” or more PC, rom-com, but both of us and our friends Linda and Burt thoroughly enjoyed it. It had been a long time since we watched a movie together in a movie theatre, and it was relaxing and fun.

As we drive through The Villages, we are amazed by all of the golf courses, golf country clubs, and golf carts. It is believed there are more than 70,000 golf carts in The Villages.

The theatre was fully packed with seniors. We’d arrived early enough to engage in lively chatter with Linda and Burt, who’d saved seats for us in the top row. We thought we might be too far back to see the movie, but it turned out perfectly, and next time we may sit there again.

These special movie nights occur on Thursdays but not every Thursday. Villagers Harry and Pauline are hosts and arrange the special nights for anyone who’d like to attend for the special $5 per person entrance fee. (the regular entrance fee is $9 for seniors).

As the largest golfing community in the nation, The Villages has 12 Championship Golf & Country Clubs and more than 40 Executive Golf Courses spread out throughout the community, with more currently being designed and constructed.

We had such a good time we plan to go again next Thursday evening but most likely will stay for dinner in the restaurant in the movie theatre, where hundreds of locals congregate to dine and listen to live entertainment. Last night, we wanted to return to the house to eat since we had some great leftovers after Linda and Burt joined us for dinner on Wednesday evening.

Once back at the house, we had a bite to eat, watched an episode of Dancing with the Stars, and wandered off to bed around 11:00 pm. For some odd reason, I had an awful time getting to sleep. Tom’s phone beeped with an announcement as I started to doze around midnight. I woke him to silence his phone. We try to avoid having that happen, but now and then, one of us forgets to turn on the “Do Not Disturb” button.

As we drove into the Sumter Landing area, we were again delighted to see the charming town square associated with that particular village.

Finally, around 1:30 am, I drifted off, but only after I took an aspirin. I don’t do this often, but for some goofy reason, one aspirin will help me fall asleep. My Fitbit shows I slept for six hours, not enough to feel energetic today.

This morning we didn’t go for our walk. The house’s maintenance guy came to install the new computer, which came with our rental and will enable us to get our passport documents printed to be submitted/mailed to the passport company in time for our June 20 online appointment. Once we have the appointment and all documents are in order, we’ll receive the new passports in 8 to 10 business days, leaving us plenty of time until our departure on July 29.

We drove around for several minutes until a car pulled out from a spot at the side of the Old Mill Playhouse, where we attended a movie with new friends Linda and Burt.

Our friends Carol and Mark arrive tomorrow around 2:00 pm. We’re planning a nice dinner and will spend the evening catching up after several years since we’ve seen Carol. We’ll enjoy the day and evening at the house since they will have been driving for several hours to get here from Boca Raton.

We plan to go to Brownwood Paddock Square on Sunday night for entertainment and dinner. This will be the first time we meet Mark, her significant other, and it will be great to get to know him. Once they’re here, we’ll select a restaurant we’d all enjoy. It will no doubt be a fun three days.

Today, we’re busy around the house while I’m doing laundry, chopping, and dicing for tomorrow night’s dinner; again, Cashew Broccoli Stir Fry with rice is an easy dinner we hope they’ll enjoy. That’s it for today, folks. We’ll be back with more photos tomorrow.

Be well.

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

Due to a poor WiFI signal aboard the ship, we could not post photos on this date. For the post’s text, please click here.

Fantastic evening with new friends, Linda and Burt…

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This is the only remaining open movie theatre at Lake Sumter Landing Market Square in The Villages, Old Mill Playhouse, where we’ll go tonight. (Not our photo).

With no new photos for today’s post, we’re at a loss as to what photos we can dig up to include. Tonight at 5:00, we’ll be heading out using Karen and Rich’s car to drive to the only movie theatre in The Villages. At one time, there were three movie theatres in The Villages, but due to a lack of interest, the only remaining theatre is The Old Mill Theatre, located at Lake Sumter Landing Market Square, a 12-minute drive from our holiday home.

Last night, our new friends Linda and Burt arrived for dinner at around 5:00 pm. As mentioned, we had a typical Minnesota dinner planned of baked ham, cheesy potatoes, green bean casserole, and salad. For dessert, we have my mother’s lemon pineapple poke cake recipe.

It was lovely meeting Linda and Burt. It wasn’t uncomfortable at all, meeting people for the first time at our temporary home. We were all chatty and at ease no more than a few minutes after they entered the house. We sat outdoors at the table on the lanai while enjoying our adult beverages and sharing endless travel stories.

A friend of Linda’s, Shirley, had met us years ago on a cruise. Shirley doesn’t live in The Villages or nearby but has read our posts for years. She encouraged Linda to contact us to get together. Linda was the first Villager to contact us before we arrived, and she was the first we contacted to get together. Her interesting, well-traveled fiance, Burt (both well-traveled), also had many fascinating world travels to share.

LakeSumter-AerialShots
Lake Sumpter Landing Square. (Not our photo).

There was never a dull moment. I had done everything I could before their arrival to ensure I wasn’t busy cooking in the kitchen while they were here, and everything worked out. I must have spent less than 20 minutes finalizing the food before we were ready to sit down for dinner at around 6:45.

We lined the various dishes in a row on the granite kitchen countertop and let everyone grab a plate and fill it accordingly. Tom had done a great job of slicing the bone-in ham. In years past, we enjoyed Honey Baked Hams, particularly the spiral sliced. But after discovering how much sugar is in those hams, we never repurchased them.

Then, once we left the US, we seldom found ham other than a canned ham, which we don’t like with all the added gelatin and chemicals. Last night’s ham was a bone-in, no-sugar-added ham, which was delicious and moist at nine pounds and cooked for about 90 minutes at 350F (177C).

We had breakfast after our walk this morning. We have enough leftovers to last us tonight and Friday night, including ham and eggs for breakfast, a delicious treat for this morning and the next. We haven’t had ham like this in years.

Tom and our guests described the dessert as delicious. As mentioned, I didn’t have anything but ham and salad, and for dessert, I had a little bowl of Fage 100% fat-free yogurt with a dollop of sugar-free Cool Whip. This way, I never missed the cake.

As always, Tom did all the dishes and refused to let our guests help clean up. The dining room table has gorgeous placemats and linen napkins (see the photo below), but I refuse to use these since they’ll all require dry cleaning since they don’t appear to be washable.

The place settings on the dining room table that we remove each time we dine. There are plain plastic placemats we use instead.

At about 9:30, Linda mentioned an event in The Village tonight as the evening was winding down. There’s a movie tonight at 6:00 at the Old Mill Theatre offering a special group price of $5 per person for a new movie playing, Once Again. We both smiled and agreed we’d like to attend this showing and plan to arrive at 5:30, as Linda recommended.

We’ll definitely see Linda and Burt again. We connected instantly, and I look forward to spending more time with them.

We haven’t been to a movie theatre together since we watched the first “Downton Abbey” movie while living on a farm in Cornwall, England, in 2019. I’ve gone to a few movies with my grandkids in Minnesota since then, which we often do together.

Tom and I plan to have leftover dinner before we go since we prefer not to eat as late as when the movie ends. Plus, we didn’t want to dine out when we had such good leftovers.

All is good. We’re cheerful, feeling well, and grateful to enjoy a robust social life in The Villages. Please read the thoughtful comment below from Linda and Burt!

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, May 18, 2013:

There were no photos posted on this date in 2013. For the text portion of the post, as we sailed through the Gulf of Aden, 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.

Hysterical feedback from Garage Logic about our “Adults Only” post a few days ago…

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At last! The Treasury! This sight made us gasp with our hearts pounding wildly, less from the walk, more from sheer joy! See below for the progression of this long walk to arrive at this magnificent event.

Note: Today’s photos are from the posts of May 15 and May 16, 2013, ten years ago, when we visited Petra, Jordan.  Here is the post from May 16, 2013.

The raw beauty of nature, coupled with artistic skills, made the walk exciting, moment by moment.

On May 12, we wrote about the myth about perceptions of The Villages as being a “swingers” retirement community. Please click here to read that post. We heard from the hosts at the Garage Logic podcast mentioned this perception when they realized where we are staying.

In response to that, in a light-hearted manner, I wrote the post entitled “Adults Only,” which may be found at the above link we rebutted the perception that The Villages is a “swingers community.” It is not. It’s a myth.

We thought we couldn’t make it through each time we encountered these narrow crevices, but we managed at each turn.

When Joe Soucheray, host of Garage Logic, read parts of our post on their show, we couldn’t stop laughing over their comments. If you’d like to hear what they had to say, please click here and have a chuckle with us. If you don’t want to listen to the entire podcast, scroll forward to 1 hour, 13 minutes, and 27 seconds, and their comments will begin. But listen all the way to the end of the podcast since they add more as they go. It’s very funny.

We love the connection we have with Garage Logic every day. If you enjoy their banter, click here for the full archives of their podcasts. We listen five days a week while Tom continues to submit daily, “On this date in Minnesota history.” It provides us with a fun connection to our original home state of Minnesota, along with our friends and family members who still live there.

Can you imagine the excitement of the Swiss adventurer that discovered this find in 1812?

As mentioned at 12:30 pm, Karen and Rich will arrive, and we’ll drop them off at the Orlando Airport for their trip to Minnesota for son Jack’s wedding, leaving their SUV with us to use for the next few weeks. In a few weeks, we’ll pick up Rich at the airport after Karen flew off to support an ailing friend and return the car at that time.

We don’t have a lot of plans for using the car other than to visit Karen’s mom, Donna, next week, a short drive from here, and to drive around The Villages, exploring and taking photos. That will be fun to do, and it will be nice to get out in a car as opposed to the golf cart.

Check out the intriguing details of theTreasury performed by craftsmen over 2000 years ago. The twelve pillars represent the twelve months of the year.

The golf cart is great, but it takes much longer to get from place to place. If we were to have been here any longer, we’d have needed to rent a car. When we checked on prices for rental cars in Florida, it was outrageous. We’d have spent over $3000 for the time we were staying here and felt it was an expense we didn’t want to bear with our expensive upcoming cruises.

It was a small sacrifice for the time we’re spending here since we can use the included golf cart to go anywhere in The Villages. With the handy app for approved golf cart paths, it’s relatively easy to get around, albeit slowly. Although, in the next few weeks, having a car to use will be great.

Actually, Tom was much happier than he looks in this photo!

After the long walk, sitting down for this not-so-smiley photo was a huge relief. The grates behind me at the front of the Treasury are protecting the more intricate design.

Today, I uploaded the Kroger online grocery order, which will arrive tomorrow morning. With company coming for dinner tomorrow evening and more houseguests again for three nights starting Saturday, we have plenty of meals to plan and prepare. Feeling so much better, I won’t have any trouble managing the upcoming visitors.

After the long walk, sitting down for this not-so-smiley photo was a huge relief. The grates behind me at the front of the Treasury are protecting the intricate design.

This morning we headed out on our walk and returned to make a lovely breakfast, and both get to work on our laptops. My hope was to upload this post before we leave at 12:30. Most likely, we’ll return by 3:30 or 4:00 pm and then get busy preparing tonight’s dinner of Italian meatballs, topped with sauce and shredded mozzarella and rice and salad on the side. I’m having grilled salmon and scallops with baked spaghetti squash and salad on the side for me.

Last night, we began watching “Dancing with the Stars” on Disney+, which we signed up long enough to binge-watch the show. Once we’re done, we’ll cancel the service. We often sign up for a streaming service long enough to watch a certain series and then cancel it thereafter. However, we keep Hulu, Netflix, and Amazon Prime all the time. We thoroughly enjoy streaming shows in the evening when we don’t have other plans.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, May 16, 2013:

In Jordan, the camel owners proudly let us take photos. In Egypt, at the Great Pyramids, either they’d grab your camera and smash it or demand $50 to get it back. For the post, please click here.

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.