I'll tell you what you missed when the ocean met the sky...

We're in Myrtle Beach.... www.oceanlakes.com once again sleeping to the roar of the ocean. After we settled in we went for dinner at one of our favorite restaurants....Crabby Mike's.....all you can eat crab legs. When we got home there was a call from my niece Janna. Believe it or not she and Matthew have the same vacation as Emma this year. That seldom happens! Anyway, Janna, Matthew and my sister in law Rindy are all coming down for the week of spring break. We are so excited! Emma will be ecstatic to have her cousins here for the week. Rindy, like Betty is back in school as well as working full time so they will both be looking for some real R&R.

Tomorrow is a work day...first of the month bills, laundry, cleaning. We are going to try to get tickets to Legends www.LegendsInConcert.com either tomorrow or Tuesday evening. The Blues Brothers are playing and we understand they are very good! I think the other acts are Diana Ross and Elton John...and of course Elvis.

When gas was $.30 cents a gallon and love was $.60 cents away

After 2 hours of "goodbyes" and lots of hugs we left our winter home and wonderful friends and headed to St. Augustine to celebrate our nephew Todd and his son Asa's birthdays. We stopped and filled the motor home and never blinked....we both decided we would rather pay for fuel to drive around in the sunshine than to stay in the cold and pay the same high prices for heating oil!!!

We arrived in St. Augustine, just after lunch and had a wonderful afternoon with Todd, Jill and the kids. They just recently moved into their beautiful new home (from Ft Monroe, Va). We always have such fun with these guys. Todd lived with me for awhile after my husband Bill died, and as well as being great company he was a great help with chauffeuring and entertaining the kids and just helping me get back on my feet. He always laughs and says we think alike (which is a little scary for both of us) and know we both have the same "Karpel" sense of humor.

Here he is in his Monster truck. We all took a ride in it on our way to Beef O'Brady's where we ended the day with dinner.

Todd, Jill, Eliza and Asa Karpel

Asa....this kid is just way too cute!!

Dinner...



Thanks guys for a great day. Once again, I am so thankful for my loving family...we are truly blessed!!

We drove on to Brunswick, Ga. The traffic was ridiculous going north....everyone headed home. We pulled into a Wal Mart to grab a few hours sleep and were surprised to see FIFTEEN motor homes already there.

I never can say goodbye....

Well after a day in Ocoee with Diane and Susie ....a trip to Olde Time Pottery and a 2 hour lunch at a new Cuban restaurant, I started packing up. We are taking as many things as possible to the new house before we leave.

The more Salt and I talked about selling the motor home the sadder we got. We have had SO much fun traveling around the country and we just can't imagine traveling without it. Even trips to VA to see the kids will be so much nicer if we don't have to pack suitcases. We really love having our own bed and knowing we have everything we need right with us. SO....as of last night the motor home is off the market. Much to Emma and Betty's relief also, as they look forward to their annual trips to Myrtle Beach. The really funny thing is right after we made the decision, we found out that they have DOUBLED the assessed full value on our island house (for tax purposes). Good news/bad news....great investment if we choose to sell it...BIG taxes if we decide to keep it. We decided IF we think we are getting too much going (boat in the Bahamas, home in FL, home on the river and a motor home) we would rather sell the island home, bank the money and park the motor home on a lot on the river for the summer. Salt would still be able to commute to work by boat and if we want to go party or visit on the island we just hop in the boat and enjoy the ride over on the river. Who knows, right now we are just keeping everything until we see how the Bahamas thing goes. I certainly love having so many options and not having to make any big decisions!!!! The guy we bought the FL home from is already regretting selling his place on an impulse.

Dave and Diane are hosting a big chicken Bar-B-Q tonight so I am going to grab the sweet potato casserole out of the oven and head (with my camera) for the final party of the season. Early Saturday morning we will leave for St. Augustine to spend a day with my nephew Todd and his family, before heading to Myrtle Beach for 3 weeks. We are headed north a little at a time...We aren't quite ready for mud, wind and brown grass. We are looking forward however, to seeing all the kids and grand kids!!

Carol stopped by with everyone's favorite dog....Jake. Jake rides around the park in the basket, sitting tall like a prince. He also brings his stuffed gorilla....

Here is the new game Salt and I were introduced to tonight. It has a half a dozen different names but we decided to call it Horse Balls....it's similar to horseshoes except you toss two golf balls which are attached with a rope. The object is to wrap them around one of the rungs. Each rung has a different score level.

There's an Easter Bonnet with all the frills upon it....

Last Sunday, our minister said he thought it would be fun if we had an "old fashioned" Easter where all the women wore Easter hats. Since there are no millinery's anywhere near Umatilla, we were all forced to use our imaginations....which means figure out what to do with a Wal Mart hat. Thanks to a little help from the neighbor's garden.....here is my Easter bonnet.



Lots of clever women.....



But by far my favorite.....



The Easter service was very moving with a special tribute from our Choir Director and his slide trombone....great job Sonny!!!




Easter dinner was a huge gathering at the club house. The owner provides the meat for holiday meals and then every one brings a dish to pass. There was SO much food (as usual).



There were so many leftovers at our table that we decided we would all get together and have another potluck that evening. Thanks for hosting Gene and Ruth...

And here was the most fun of the day. I made up this Easter Basket for our friend Dave and Salt ran over and left it on his doorstep at 2:30 in the morning. Of course all of our friends were in on it but he was clueless as to where it came from. His first guess was me but when he approached Salt and asked him Salt said..."it better not be my wife since I didn't get one". He spent the whole day asking, wondering and speculating while the rest of us denied and snickered behind his back. Finally last night I had to break down and tell him because we were starting to worry that his wife might suspect he really had a secret admirer.




Oh I almost forgot, last night we went across the street to the Methodist Church carnival. It was SO country carnival. We chuckled (and lost our quarters) when we came upon this game. The guy had a mouse called "Fast Freddy". You put your quarter on a block of numbers....4 for a quarter....and he would let this field mouse out of a box and he would scamper into one of the holes. If it was your number you win a prize. Thank God we didn't win....just what I needed a stuffed Spider man. We just got a kick out of trying to figure where he would go and why???


The weather is crappy today so Salt and I are headed to the mall to catch a movie. There are so many cute clothes out for the girls now that spring is on it's way but since we can't keep up with their growth spurts we are going to take each of them shopping on our way home. Salt and I will take Emma during the week she is at the beach and then will take Sarah and Rachael when we stop in Virginia. A couple of my girlfriends are picking me up tomorrow to head to the Old Time Pottery for some "new house" shopping. I don't really need a lot but want to get some new dishes, towels, sheets, etc.

I wish I had a million friends.....

This must be one of those things where they say "watch what you wish for you may just get your wish". We are trying to get caught up with our friends for a last goodbye before we head to Myrtle Beach. Our schedule is booked right up until we leave on the 30th.

Last Thursday we all gathered at Fred and Linda Jackson's for a get together with some of our Grindstone friends, all of whom have winter places in this area. Fred and Linda Jackson, Dave and Sue Smith, Manley and Mary Lou Rusho, Salt and Kitty. Unfortunately the pictures aren't that great. That's what happens when you hand your camera over to a waiter. The other option is being left out of the picture. We had a wonderful time reminiscing and making plans for the upcoming summer on Grindstone!! Sue and Dave invited us to the Villages to see a Polo game. Unfortunately, we are booked up this year and will be leaving before we can schedule another one this year. We will definitely look forward to doing that next year, as it is something we have always wanted to do!!



This is Sue drinking Dave's cooking sherry ....Dave didn't want it in his bisque so Sue not wanting to waste it decided to suck it down....


Back to Fred and Linda's for dessert....


Friday at bowling I sat with one of my friends who invited me to a Good Friday Bible study. It was very powerful. I am signing up for a detailed study next year. Having grown up catholic, we never really studied the bible. I love having the opportunity to get into some serious studies.

I had to put this picture in for those of you who haven't seen it. Someone sent it off the Internet. It is a "painted" bathroom floor.....on the 10th floor of a high rise. Would you step in there??? I love weird stuff like this!!

Salt is sitting by his phone waiting to see if he wins the "pony plop". When we went to the Chili Cook off a few weeks ago he bought a raffle ticket.....winner gets $1,000.00. They have a bunch of horses they line up and you bet on a horse. The first one to "plop" is the winner. Then they take all the entries with that number and draw a name. I told you this town was a lot like Grindstone!! YEHAWWW!

That song is driving me cray, I gotta hear it again....

I flipped on the TV tonight and found that PBS was having a 60's concert to raise money. WOW, what a show. I can't believe all the artists that are entertaining....now I am really going back in time. They are showing a lot of clips from Woodstock and many of the old concert clips.

Since I can never just "sit" and watch TV, I decided to go through some of my notes and pictures and just do some miscellaneous blogging .

I had mentioned in one of the earlier posts that Salt was volunteering in the Habitat for Humanity project. Since we did not get here early this year much of this first house was complete so he didn't have a lot of time on this one. He helped put up cabinets, and outside trim.

This is the one they are now working on...he was here for the groundbreaking on this one and spends one day a week working with the guys from the OMS (Olde Mill Stream).

Oh, I had to add this picture....I call all the gifts (bingo bags, dishcloths, sun catchers) from some of the older wonderful women in the park, my "Needful Things". Millie and Pete are neighbors on our street.... When Millie found out I was an avid reader, she sent these bookmarks home with Salt. I thought I would include them in the blog so Emma could see them and make some. They are made from old plastic bottles, Em!

We received a call from my cousin Shane last week. He was out checking out a larger saw mill and the owner told him he wanted to introduce him to someone. It turned out to be Oliver North.....who shook Shane's hand and told him he was glad to meet him. When Shane replied with Semper Fi (Marines), they struck up quite a conversation. Shane, did you invite him to the Island for a fishing trip???? Picture is blurry. I suspect it may have been taken on a cell phone.
Oh, by the way, AJ does not have grease paint on his face...it is a reflection.

Here is Emma, Queen of the Limbo, performing at her girl scout "faux beach party". Those New Yorkers need to think "beach" after the winter they have endured.

This is our beautiful grand daughter Sarah at her homecoming dance (California). Rachael, you need to e-mail me a recent picture of you so I can blog it. Mike and his family will be moving back to Virginia in early April....Robin said they are all getting excited. We will be stopping to see them on our way back from the beach....can't wait...miss them!!

..

We had some disappointing news this week. Our friends Tom and Linda McElwain will not be able to spend the month of April in Myrtle Beach. Tom's dad passed away a couple of weeks ago and they are trying to resolve all the problems that come with that kind of loss. Will miss them and are hoping they at least get a couple of days at the beach before we all head for home.

Well, the 60s program has ended (GREAT) so I am off to bed with a good book.

I never liked goodbye songs...

Last night we had a fire and cookout for the first of our friends to leave for home...Ralph and Karen Hillis. As much as we are looking forward to our month on the ocean in Myrtle Beach (we are having a lot of company while there), and ultimately our return to the Island, it is sad to see people leaving. I am SO happy we found this place and have purchased a nest here. If you haven't guessed from posts since we have been here, we have found our winter paradise.

OK... so check this out...in case you ever need boiling water. This is a plastic bottle sitting amongst these hot coals. The secret is to have the water cold when you put the bottle in the fire. I couldn't believe it was bubbling!!! When Karen took it out the bottle still was not melted. She must have been a good Girl Scout!!!

This is the central fire pit which keeps fires out of the resort area. It's pretty cool, especially when you want to have a larger party than you can accommodate at your home. The pool and lake are directly behind it.

When Irish eyes are smiling....

Well, here is our warm-up for St. Patrick's Day. If you are asking yourself "is it St. Patrick's Day or Halloween?", you won't be the only one!!! This is such a fun group. They are all so young at heart, it's like being back in high school without all the petty stuff that went with the social life.

The band was called Tomorrow....the lead singer (female) was from Dublin so she started out with some beautiful Irish songs (with that Irish brogue I so love). We were all a little apprehensive wondering if we would have to dance all tonight to Danny Boy or the Irish Jig. Once the party got grooving they really took us back in time. Twisting, Good Time Rock and Roll, Proud Mary, etc.

The party will continue on Monday evening (early so we can do Bingo...my new addiction). However check out the picture below....Donald Sutherland and Billy Baldwin getting just as excited as I do. Wonder if this makes it more acceptable to some of the anti-Bingo snobs????

I will be cooking the Corned Beef and Cabbage for about 9 of us....including the Muldoons and Joyce McFadden...that's Irish!

These are our friends Ralph and Karen Hillis from Indiana. Since they will be leaving on Thursday, we are having a "Farewell Picnic" for them tomorrow. Nobody told me this retirement was going to be so difficult...ha ha!!

Some people thing they can hide behind a couple of shamrocks....


This is Rick who you saw in the NY reunion photos. He had to be the biggest party guy in high school/college. And NO he wouldn't tell anyone what was under the kilt!!

I asked Tom and Ann Knickerson if I could put them in the blog since they seemed like the most conservatively dressed. Man you should see this guy dance....Look at Killer Joe go!!!

Rick and Carol Gates from Pigeon Forge, TN. We have managed to get Carol addicted to Bingo...she has not won a game yet so every week she says she is not coming back....but she shows up...I think it's the good company. Her luck will change and she will probably hit the $100 jackpot....after which she will be very difficult to live with (just kidding Carol).

Gene and Ruth Starcher, Apollo, PA....Ruth is the organizer...and just has the cutest personality, she is always happy!

Our wild and crazy table...

We also celebrated a 60th anniversary....Not only can Louise stay happily married for 60 years she is an AVID golfer and had a hole in one this winter. I won't be golfing with her any time soon, but it sure would make a good goal!! Congratulations Bob and Louise!

have you ever seen the horses running, racing through the fields like fire...Copper, Chestnut gold and amber...all the colors of desire

Finally, I might be able to catch up on the blog. I kept having all these problems uploading pictures to the blog....for 3 days I have been cursing and wondering what was wrong. Finally I figured out that 2 of the pictures I tried to upload were pictures that Betty sent and they were too large for the blog to accept.

On Wednesday, our good friends Bob and Julie Purcell flew in from Syracuse. Julie is my friend who so lovingly took my 3 horses when Salt and I decided to travel and downsize. They were headed for the Villages to visit some friends. Since we are very close, they asked us to have lunch with them on Thursday. Knowing how Julie LOVES horses, we decided to check out the Florida Carriage Museum. We had NO idea how large it was and what interesting carriages were housed there. Since I took over 80 pictures, it is going to be very difficult to pick my favorites. Here are some of them....

Of course the mail wagon for Salt....

Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus Wagon

A Roman Chariot...

Civil War carriage for carrying cannons...

Everyone recognizes the Chuck Wagon.....

This was the highlight of the museum....a totally restored carriage from Belgium aristocracy.

The covered wagon....I can't even imagine crossing the country in one of these!!!

But.....I always wanted to ride in one of these....stage coach

After touring the museum, we toured the grounds and were able to see many of the beautiful horses. Julie and I both thought this was a very clever way to exercise them!

This guy was the most unusual looking donkey...check out the size of the ears!

He was so fuzzy he almost didn't real....sort of like a teddy bear.

These are for you Mike....Check out the white one which is the Chief. He rode ahead of the tankers ringing the bell. And of course the Dalmatian. If any of you don't know how the Dalmatian became the "fire dog". It was from the days when the tankers were pulled by horses. The dogs were trained to run for miles and nip at the horses heels to keep the horses going at a fast steady pace.

Check out the lift that sets the harnesses on for speed in preparing them to haul.

I loved the all these food related carriages that were used before the invention of the automobile/truck.

I could post 50 more pictures but this input is getting way too long. If you are interested, check out www.austincarriagemuseum.com . If you get to this area it is definitely an informative, FUN day!!

This was a cool little pond on the grounds which was full of fish.

When we finally left the museum (before Bob and Salt passed out from hunger), we went to lunch at Gator Joe's , a Key West type restaurant just a short distance from the museum. What a great day....thanks Bob and Julie!!!