Easter and Made It To Aruba

Sorry about all the details in my last post but I wanted to put it all in one place so I can pull it up as stuff arises over the next months without shuffling through so much paperwork.

Our Easter dinner went well and after sharing leftovers we were able to not have too much left in the refrigerator.  

I woke up at 1:00 am the morning we were leaving and Ted slept until 2.  We left at 3.  We had to drive the 45 miles to Hobby but with light traffic we arrived in plenty of time.  We used our QR code to enter the parking lot and quickly got parked and picked up by the shuttle.  Lines were not long at check in but we had to go to the help desk check in counter because of leaving the country.  

She checked our passports and our enter/exit QR code for Aruba which gave us the red stamp that said we had proper documents to enter Aruba.  Off we went to the gate and we boarded and took off right on time.  We changed planes in Orlando without incident and arrived in Aruba early.

Cindy asked us to pick up two bottles of duty free tequila which we did.  Walked right through Customs waving my boarding pass to allow the liquor purchases and were outside looking for “Manny in the red van” to take us to Top Drive car rental.  Cindy and Tim met up with us there.  They wanted to lead us to their house.

Thursday we drove all around the island, up one side and down the other (the middle is desert) taking in the neighborhoods of the west side and the expensive resorts, high end stores and  multi million dollar homes of the east shore.  We stopped at a Lourdes grotto and said a prayer for Ted’s two brothers that are having medical issues.

Our anniversary dinner  was at Flying Fishbone where we had a $200 gift certificate from our girls.  It was right on the water, there was a flower arrangement on the table from Cindy and Tim!  People below us had their bare feet in the water and our level was all sand.  Lots of fish, spectacular sunsets and raggae music here!

Friday we spent the day swimming in their pool and then had dinner at a local place with a steel drum band.  There was a street fair going on and we walked around a bit.  We chose to come home before that band started but Tim and Cindy stayed.

Saturday was beach day so we drove to Baby Beach for the afternoon.  The wind was light, the water warm and it was a delightful afternoon.  We had some company, a lovely yellow fluffy crab that looked like he was made out of pipe cleaners and an iguana I named George.  He was so curious!  He eventually climbed a tree and we never saw him again.  We went to a favorite restaurant off the beaten path for dinner.  It was King’s holiday 3 day weekend and all the big restaurants would be crowded.  Another lovely sunset.

 

Sunday we attended Mass at St. Teresa Church.  It was an hour and a half long but was said in Dutch so it seemed even longer. I could follow the Bible readings along on my phone but his homily went right over our heads. At the end of Mass we asked the priest for a marriage blessing in honor of our anniversary. He complied!  Then we went to a local restaurant for a buffet breakfast. It was a delightful venue and we chatted with the whole family who ran the place.  The place settings were very attractive!  

We decided to drive all over the island today to see a lot of nature and some places of interest.  First up was many goats along the seashore.  They and donkeys roam freely all over the place.  Next was the huge boulders that dot the inside area of this 19 mile island.  Evidence of people living in caves crested by these rock formations can be seen to this day.  

Next was the collapsed Natural Bridge.  The walkway and sitting area remains.  The bottom photo is a photo of the bridge intact.

Our next stop was a chapel built in 1750 and was recently repaired.  It is the oldest church on the island. Carvings of the Way of the Cross fill the road to the church.  

We headed home and stopped for dinner.  Slow, slow, slow service.  Island time and all of that!  Ted ordered a burger advertised as 2X the meat thinking it was a double.  It was 2 times the double so he had 4 hamburgers on one sandwich!  And he ate it!  

Our next adventure was to see the Aruba Red Anchor, visited the newest natural bridge, and enjoyed the beautiful murals decorating many buildings!  They are fabulous.  We had dinner at a restaurant directly on the beach.  We had the most delightful young lady from Poland!  And one more sunset!

This is getting very long so I will stop for now.  We return home tomorrow.  We received the sorrowful news that Ted’s brother Dan passed away from a lung condition no one could identify and it destroyed his lungs. 

We have a full week when we get home and then will be going to Cincinnati for Dan’s funeral.  So very sad.  

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Busy Times and Weather is Terrific!

I have been knee deep in planning - taxes, Aruba, Glacier Lake and Geneva on the Lake in Ohio!  All this computer stuff drives me crazy.  

I received my last K-1 on 4/1 so I finally got my taxes done and filed.  Then I took the trips one at a time to get my paperwork in order.  

4/23 Houston to Orlando to Aruba.  Parking reserved, SW tickets bought and upgraded to A boarding group, car rented and deposit made.  Gift card from our kids to have dinner at Flying Fisherman in Aruba.  24 anniversary cards have arrived so far.  Here are some.

4/30 Aruba to Orlando to Houston arriving 10/30 pm.  Hotel near MDA reserved to go to 11:30 MDA appt. on 5/1.  No sense driving home and back down in a 12 hour period.

5/2 Drive to Carmine TX (past Brenham) to meet old boss Gus and Melissa for lunch. 

6/21-29 Glacier National Park and Banff Canada.  First class to Calgary on Delta.  Caravan Tour plans the rest of the trip.  Had to upload our passport info into FF accounts because of leaving the country.

 Ice Explorer

Jasper Park

Peyton Lake

Lake Louise

Moraine Lake

Banff

Gondola Ride

Bow River

Buffalo Jump

Pincher Creek

"Going to the Sun" Road 

Glacier Park

Logan Pass

Our girls cannot make Ohio reunion in July so I cancelled three 2 BR cabins and booked one lodge room for just us.  

Whew!  

I had a winning roll at cards.  First in Shanghai, first in Hand and Foot and second in 3-13!  

This past week I went with CWJF Sustainers (including Marleah, Pam St. Claire and Pat Allender) to Texas A&M to visit Bush presidential museum, had a champagne toast at Bush’s graves and a terrific lunch at the top of Rudder Tower.  Gorgeous panoramic view of entire campus.  

I am having two of our South African friends for Easter dinner tomorrow.  The other two are flying home from Portugal but at night so just us 4.  

I will try to post a little more frequently.  Sometimes there just isn't too much to write about!  

Happy Easter,

Getting Bored

 Sorry about not writing but there isn’t much to write about. Nothing going  on. The yard is in pretty good shape. Our azaleas bloomed profusely this year. There are some things that didn’t make it through the freeze.  Once the azaleas drop their blooms we will work on cleaning up the oval and plant some annuals and perennials.

We had the sprinklers checked out and we needed one new head but all else was OK. They haven’t fertilized our grass yet but I am sure it won’t be long. 

Things are in good shape in the house with all my cleansing of closets!  We have been to doctors and played cards a few times.  We continue our Saturday routine of church at 5:00 and then out to eat afterwards.  Last week we went to Chili’s to use a $5 gift card I won at a show down in Alamo, TX last fall.  The amount and quality of the food was a nice surprise.  We had chips and salsa followed by a cup of soup for Ted plus a burger and fries.  I had a chicken sandwich that came with fries that I hadn’t expected. Ted had a Coke and I had a tea.  Our bill with 20% tip came to $23!  Normally we are between $40-70.  I even brought half my sandwich home and had it for lunch the next day.  I found Saltgrass and Carrabas gift cards with about $11 each on them so when we can’t make up our minds we can always go there!  

We leave in less than 3 weeks for Aruba,  My things are piling up on the twin bed.  It will be 5/4 before we are back in the house due to a night downtown to go to MDA the morning after our 10:30 pm arrival back in the US.  Then we are driving to Carmine TX to have lunch with Gus and Melissa our friends who invite us to Hilton Head periodically.  This would be a good year to get an invite in August because we will have visited the kids, folks in Cincinnati and attended the family reunion and will start by the last week in July.

Our Texas bluebonnets and Indian paintbrush that bloom in March.

And ..  Happy Easter  

 

M

Low Key Week at Home

We spent the night in Lafayette LA and made it home early afternoon on Friday.  By that evening I was not feeling well.  Good thing Ted’s cold was clearing up because I felt like a wet rag. I turned in early and woke up feeling some better. I guess Ted’s cold mixtures worked well. He went to church himself because I didn’t want to cough or sneeze over a crowd. Sunday I still rested and told Ted to go shooting with Tal. By Monday I was up and running. I emptied the luggage, got the laundry done, went through the mail and was satisfied with all I accomplished that day. 

On Tuesday I had a doctor appointment followed by a lab visit for tests.  We played cards at the country club that evening but neither of us won!

Wednesday was Ash Wednesday and after getting the car washed and some groceries, Ted stopped at church for ashes.  I was amazed at the amount of people on live TV who also received ashes and wore them on TV.  It was refreshing to see such public displays of faith.

We haven’t done too much beyond our regular schedule of playing cards, seeing doctors, shooting and some spring cleaning.  I spent a whole day in our master closet.  Lots of things for my cleaning lady, Paralyzed Vets and the homeless luncheon folks on Tuesdays.  And a recycled can a foot deep in wire hangers! Ted’s friend Tal who has difficulties walking, invited us out to dinner to thank Ted for all his help in Tal being able to continue shooting.  We met them at Hacienda and enjoyed some Mexican food and a margarita. 

Ted’s brothers Tom and Dan are both having health issues and we are all concerned.  

We signed up to do the Glacier National Park tour with Eileen and Tom in June.  Boy did it fill up fast!  I wanted late August.  She wanted September and we had only 3 dates in June to choose from.  We will watch to see if other dates open up as final payment draws near.  

Our neighbors do renovation work and they came over to get an idea on how to maximize the space in our master closet.  They will work on it in April and/or June while we are gone. My stuff is in really good shape. Ted still has a ways to go. 

Yesterday was the neighborhood luncheon with just 5 in attendance. Two were unable to come. Our big group keeps shrinking!  But we all enjoy our monthly time together and choosing a restaurant and letting everyone know is all the effort it takes. Oh, and mentioning who has a birthday that month. None for March.

Someone pulled into our driveway and ran over our edging bending it and knocked the rocks off.  We have had no company or deliveries and it is obvious a car ran over 7 rocks that ended up uprooted.  I sent a photo to Carmelo our lawn guy and he is coming Monday to assess the damage and plan a repair.  Always something!

I have continued cleaning out closets. All 3 bedroom closets are in order. Both hall closets are orderly and the doors below my sink have been worked on and are in good order.  The master bath linen closet needs a going

over yet. 

My cleaning lady took everything I put on the twin bed, jeans, khakis, shoes, slippers, more hangers, and a few sweaters. Anna next door is taking a dozen bags we have accumulated from conferences, groups, shops in Mexico, etc.  She will take them to the South African free store to

be put to good use.  

I have four grocery bags for Paralyzed Vets.  Ted took armsful of shorts and shirts to the Tuesday free lunch for the homeless. Tal called and said everything was gone but one shirt and one shorts!   Ted was indignant and asked me why no one wanted those two items!  I have no idea! 

I had two Dr appts this past week. My PCP and the kidney specialist he had me see. My lab results were good. Out of 5 pages of test info, there were only 5 red numbers.  The two numbers he was most interested in were way better than 6 months ago and agreed the gabapentin they gave me in June probably affected my

Kidneys. We both agreed to put that in my allergy list just to be on the side of caution. The other 3 numbers were .1 off the norms and of no concern. 

Good news!

Final Three!

 We are winding down here on the west coast of Florida!  

Monday we drove to my sister’s home in Punta Gorda. She and husband Spence were delighted to see us. We got caught up on family news and looked at books and photos she is working with for posterity. She was raised in my dad’s family and I was raised in my mother’s so we both know different relatives!  But we get along famously. They both have had health issues so we had lots to cover.

We left for dinner at a local BBQ bar where I got fish!  I hoped it was fresh from the ocean,  Not sure if it was but it was delicious! 

We left later than we expected to so we arrived in Fort Myers after dark. Our GPS led us right to our motel but we were stymied checking in using Register Assist computer to do so.  There is a guy on TV that tells you what to do.  Our first wrinkle was I made the reservation so he needed my DL!  So I went in and eventually got our keys spit out of the machine!  The motel was fine and breakfast was great.  We had maid service the next day so we were ok!  

Tuesday we drove to my brother’s condo that he is closing to sell this week and has bought a house in Rotunda West. So they were pretty sparse in what was not packed up yet. We sat at their dining room table with the balcony doors open with sunshine and a warm breeze enveloping us! 

For dinner we went to Bimini Bait Shack Bar where I chose tuna. Again, a good choice.  Last time we were all down for a vacation on Sanibel Island we had eaten here. We had seen each other last August at the shooting competition in Marion OH so not so much family news to share. But we enjoy visiting. Dan is probably the relative of mine Ted is closest to. 

Wednesday we visited Lee and Ira, camping folks that we have enjoyed trips with.  They lost their motorhome during Hurricane Ian and because of their age chose not to replace it.  So we are both in the same boat with no RV!

They have a very nice house in a beautiful neighborhood.  Ira can do anything and was so proud to show us how he took a three piece entertainment center to make it for a much larger TV. What a beautiful job he did!  

We went to Bahama Breeze where I had coconut shrimp. Third day to eat fish!  I wish we had more time to spend with them but Ted wanted to make Lake City by dinnertime.  We made it, stayed in an Econo Lodge, had a burger at Culver’s and turned in in time to watch Survivor!  I remember who got voted off and then nothing!

We took off about 10 o’clock. Ted has been taking NyQuil for a cold so I let him sleep until he woke up on his own.  We missed the breakfast closing time of 9:00 so somewhere in Florida we stopped at Waffle House where I was charged $7 for TWO scrambled eggs. 

We will stop somewhere in Louisiana and finish up tomorrow.  There is nothing pressing at home until Thursday so we can take our time.  I haven’t mentioned the three family members who passed away recently, all younger than me.  David Homer, Kellie Ruhe and David Reik.  They lived in Florida, Ohio and Kentucky.  Lives cut way too short.  It has been a very good 2+ weeks on the road for us but these deaths remind us to always be kind because at some point it will be the last time you speak to someone.  

A Little Bit of Everything!

 Saturday was check in day to our condo.  It has 3 ensuites upstairs with king size beds, one for each couple.  A very nice kitchen, laundry room, half bath,  double living room and huge covered patio with grill, table and couches.  Quite a nice set up.

Pat and Kelly were arriving later in the evening so Bill, Kara, Ted and I went to get pizza since we had not been to the store yet.  We all turned in pretty early.  Bill awoke with a fever and cold so stayed in their suite for 1-2 days until his fever broke.  The four of us went to church and then Kara and Pat went grocery shopping and Ted grilled burgers outside for dinner and we all sat around the table.

Monday Kara continued to cook and we had fajitas, again outside at the table.  I cut up the chicken!  I was content just settling in and pretty much being waited on.  The kids had made reservations at Yachtsman’s Steakhouse at Disney’s Yacht Club Resort to celebrate our 60th anniversary early since we were all together.  Kristin drove back and forth each day if she was going with any of us. 

 

The food was delicious and Disney provided congratulation pins, a champagne toast and chocolates for us. 

On Wednesday Bill and Kara were picking up his sister and brother in law at Coronado Springs to show them around Disney especially the Grand Floridian which is their home timeshare.  Pat had met up with Larry for lunch so Kelly, Ted and I took advantage of all the free transportation at Disney to ride around.  We parked for free at Hollywood Studios since we had Bill in our car with his DVC ID.  Kara parked their car using her ID. Nothing to sneeze at since parking is $25 per day!  

We took The Skyliner to Epcot, took a boat to The Boardwalk and then a bus to Magic Kingdom where we rode the monorail to the Grand Floridian.  It started raining so we had a snack at Gasparillo’s in the Grand Floridian waiting for the foursome to arrive for dinner at Narcoosie’s.  Marilyn and Dave were pleased we waited for their arrival to say hi before we caught a bus back to Hollywood Studios to drive home.  This is a great way to get an idea of the enormity and flavor of the park without paying $169 a day to go in!  The kids all have annual passes and go in and out frequently.  

Thursday Patrick went to St. Petersburg to kite board while Ted, Kelly and I went to see Conclave at Disney Springs.  We ate a late lunch there at the Polite Pig before heading back to the condo.  Our evening would be spent at Port Orleans Riverside Resort to see Yeehaw Bob Jackson.  This guy is a hoot!  We did the Hokey Pokey, YMCA, singing competitions with the other side of the room, etc.  So much fun!  He sure can tickle the ivories!  He gave us a shout out for celebrating our 60th anniversary.

Friday we were all home during the day.  Bill put the dash cam back in our new car, Kara did laundry and I just took it easy.  Pat and Kelly went to Universal Studios and we didn’t see them until Saturday morning.  We had gone to the dueling pianos at Jelly Rolls piano bar on the Boardwalk.  We again got a shout out for our anniversary and a song (Going to the Chapel) which was a hit in 1964.  When we sent up a request for Last Date (a ‘60s Floyd Kramer piano song) Scottie said “this has to be from Ted and Donna who are the only people in this building old enough to know it.”  He said it had not ever been requested and he had not played it in decades but he would try.  With no music and no other info, he did a beautiful job!  The later we stayed the less we knew any of the songs.  They did play Cecilia which is CeCe’s actual name so that was fun.  Big night!  I had a Peach on the Beach and Ted had 3, count them, 3 beers!

Saturday was Kelly and Pat’s departure day.  They had to pack his kite board to have Ship Sticks return it back to their Michigan home.  They were going to pick it up Tuesday at Kristin’s so they needed to stop there to drop it off before heading to the airport.  Kristin and Larry spent the day together for their anniversary so Bill spent the afternoon there waiting for Kara’s computer to be delivered needing a signature.  It had been scheduled for Friday so that put a wrench in the day!  Kara was meeting Disney friends who were all in to run the Disney Princess 5K, 10K and half marathon.  Ted and I just stayed behind helping get everyone where they needed to be.  We went to church, got gas and stopped at Olive Garden for dinner.  Bill had joined Kara at Disney and I went to bed  before they came home.  Kristin stopped by to say goodbye to us.  Everyone arrived home so all is good.  It is Sunday morning and we leave here and head to Clearwater for the theater and to spend one night before moving on to Punta Gorda and Fort Myers for some visiting.  

What a wonderful story!  Gander, Newfoundland on 9/11. Our interest was a couple we know who met there and married. They live in our town and she belongs to the same club as me. However, I was blown away at the emotional and heartwarming recollection of that fateful day.

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