THANKFULNESS x 2

After we returned to our winter domicile in Webster, FL at the Florida Grande Motor Coach Resort, we were immediately so busy that there was no time to relax.  We weren't supposed to be too busy to continue our blog, so we've got to make some adjustments.

One of the activities I enjoy when we return to Florida Grande is teaching a couple of painting classes.  Last year I learned silk scarf painting techniques from a friend, Janet Roelle, from Michigan.  We held our first class on November 13, and it was so interesting we've scheduled another class.  Silk scarf painting is fun because you produce an original that no one else will ever duplicate. 

Silk Scarf Class - Florida Grande Motor Coach Resort

Silk Scarf Class - Florida Grande Motor Coach Resort

 There are a couple of reasons I have continued to teach the painting class for almost 5 years.  One reason is that it is ALWAYS fun, and two, I really enjoy the talented people who come to the class.   It's so enjoyable I would do it for free!  Our once a month class is fun, and filled with lots of laughter.  We usually have around fifteen people because we only have 15 easels.  But sometimes we have a "project" that doesn't require an easel and we have a room filled to the brim.  Our classes are called "Attitude Adjustment", and by the end of our class, we guarantee an attitude transformation.  While the class paints, I tell lots of jokes, we play games, have contests, show hilarious slides on our television screen, and we enjoy all kinds of snacks, and if we have time, I teach.

Special snacks at Attitude Adjustment Class

At the end of the class we have class pictures to prove we actually have accomplished a project for the evening.  Some of our projects have included:

Attitude Adjustment Class

Attitude Adjustment Class

Attitude Adjustment Class

Attitude Adjustment Class

Pictures After Class - Attitude Adjustment Class

Attitude Adjustment Class

After a week of getting back in the groove at Florida Grande it was time to leave for our Thanksgiving with our family.  First we traveled about 45 miles north to visit with our oldest daughter, Kristen, her husband, Harold, and our 4 delightful grandchildren.  They were vacationing for a week on Little Lake Weir, so we spent one night with them before driving north on to be with our youngest daughter, Lauren, and her husband Chris, in Suwanee, Georgia (near Atlanta).    We left our motorhome at FG, and what we missed most of all was our bed.  Thanksgiving was everything we had wished for with Chris and Lauren, and we are pleased to announce that Chris was chosen by his employer, the Atlanta Falcons, as Employee Of The Year.  (This is the first time an individual has won the award twice.)  We are proud of Chris and glad that his hard work throughout the year was recognized by his peers.

Chris and Lauren Millman

The day after Thanksgiving we went to Dahlonega, in the mountains of north Georgia.  We never get tired of the beauty of the mountains and a lot of the colors of Fall were still there for us to enjoy.  We also saw many cars with Christmas trees on their roofs.  Christmas is going to be here before you know it.     

North Georgia Mountains near Dahlonega, GA

Wolf Mountain Vineyards - Dahlonega, GA

We returned to Webster on Saturday in one day, something you don't have to do if you are traveling in your motorhome, but we were ready to get back to our bed as well as our quiet and peaceful lifestyle in Webster.   We love to visit with our family so much and we look forward to their visit as soon as we have completed our suite (which is being done as we finish this blog).

RV and MH enjoying mountain air.

Sometimes when you see something funny you just have to take the picture...NOW.  I usually go to the Webster Flea Market on Mondays, and sometimes we find a few unusual pictures (Kodak moments); however, this may be the first time I've ever seen something like this for sale.  A work of art...solid cherry.  I think it was a good price, too.  Seriously?!

I heard him tell the guy it could also be a gun case - really.

I think I've found that perfect little car for us.  Not sure if it's for sale or not, but we see it every time we travel to Clermont.  How creative can you get?  

What a great little motorhome!

As we get ready for the holidays it is amazing how many activities there are.  We all need to pause to remember the reason for the season.  Sometimes I think random acts of kindness would be better than all the consumption and commercialized gift giving.     

CAMPE DIEM - Attention All Campers!

We are residents of Petoskey, Michigan, for one week.  Not bad digs.  Many summer days in Petoskey average a comfortable temperature around 75 degrees.  Most residents of this area are here only a few months of the year, and talk about the cold winters (I always think ice fishing sounds so cool), the snow bridge across the lake, and that sometimes there might be 60 inches or more of snow in one winter.  To prepare for winter, all the big yachts you see in the lakes have to be taken someplace where the water doesn't freeze.  Winterizing doesn't usually begin until October.    

Our coach base is Hearthside Grove Motorcoach Resort, in Petoskey, MI, one of the premier motorcoach resorts in the United States.  If there were 5 stars, one being poor and 5 being the best, this resort deserves a 10.  Hearthside Grove is on 140 acres of lush landscaping, patios, bungalows, fire and water features, with 36 acres of natural preserve.  We're just playing through, and will be on our way north in about a week, but it has been a pleasant eye-opener for us.  A few pictures may show the attention to detail and uniqueness of the overall development.

Campe Diem 2013

Hearthside Grove - Bungalow

Hearthside Grove - Landscaping

Hearthside Grove - Our next door neighbor has a walk-out basement

Hearthside Grove - Horizontal Fire Pit

Hearthside Grove - Landscaping

All amenities (and concierge services) have been extended to us.  Several friends prepared a dinner in the kitchen of  the new Hearthside Grove 18,000 square foot clubhouse.   Along with spaghetti with meatballs and pork prepared by our friends, Ronnie and Marianne DiGiglia, the menu included an eggplant caponata appetizer, antipasto salad, Italian bread and homemade pineapple upside down cake.

Hearthside Grove Clubhouse Kitchen 2013

CAMPE DIEM!!

GETTING DOWN FOR THE "UP"

This has been quite a month and we've accomplished so much to get ready for our next trip. This time has allowed us an opportunity to visit family several times, to see our grandchildren are growing so fast, and enjoy an RV Rally in Malabar, FL. On the way back from South Carolina, we started losing voltage in the batteries, so we were diverted to Tom Nehl in Jacksonville Freightliner to have the alternator replaced.... nice it was under warranty. All we did, as the voltage kept going down, was turn on the generator and enjoy the cool air conditioning. If you ever need chassis work done and you're around the Jacksonville, FL area, this is a 24/7 operation. You are in there/outta there, and there are huge trucks all over the place - but you get the same attention the biggest truck would get!

Looking back over the past six weeks during our 3,000 plus miles travels, we only lost one levelling jack, the electric awning over the entry door, and our alternator - not bad considering all the fun we had. The only thing not under warranty was the door awning. We would have stayed longer on our trip, but I had a very important doctor's appointment - and wouldn't you know as soon as we got back, they called and cancelled!

We took a side trip to Tallahassee, FL, for a couple of days and were absolutely astounded at how much it has changed. The stadium is quite a tribute to Bobby Bowden. We took the scenic route back to Webster - Highway 98 - then went into Cedar Key to see the old Island Hotel, the oldest commercial building in Cedar Key. This is quite an interesting area if you're interested in Old Florida, as I am. I remember their Original Heart of Palm Salad, a real treat as well as a surprise. Did you know there was huge working clam farm as you drive onto the Island? The Hotel actually has a sea cow at their baby grand in the lobby.

We love to stop at Historical Markers so we had to pull over at Rosewood, a very sad place in Florida history dating back t0 1923. This little side trip seemed to be quite long, but it was worth it. If you ever have an opportunity to go to one of their Spring art shows, GO!

Have you ever heard the term "cracker" when you are talking about old Florida? A good example of this is at Cross Creek, a side trip we took to Marjorie Kinnon Rawlings' home which is on the State Historic places. I had been here previously many years ago, but a lot of money has been spent by the State to preserve this beautiful example of "cracker" style. Majorie Kennon Rawlings was a very accomplished author who wrote "The Yearling" and "To Kill A Mockingbird". The Yearling is a local restaurant where you can order gator tail and rattlesnake cooked as you like it. We like to go off the road occasionally to visit some of these beautiful areas like Lake Lochloosa, Ishtachatta, etc., in the tow car, of course.

In the meantime, we have several bluebirds nesting in our front yard in Webster. 4 eggs so far. However, a huge summer-type storm popped up one day and knocked the birdhouse over, and one of the eggs came out. When it stopped raining, we up-righted the birdhouse and tried to put the egg back where it was. Soon we noticed the bluebirds in another birdhouse in back of us...setting up another house. Now I'm confused..... how do you have 2 houses with 2 different nests???? Anyway, that's what they're doing. I try to leave them alone, but it's like an expectant grandmother....I have to check on them every once in awhile.

When everything seems to be going fine, Bob decides to dump our black and grey tanks, and since we have a macerator (similar to a garbage disposal), for our waste tanks, the most awful noise began as if someone were dropping marbles into a garbage disposal. We knew we had problems....we just didn't know what they were. So Bob dismantles the macerator and found that gobs of thread and lint from our washing machine were winding around the shaft of the macerator and after about a year it had quite enough to impact what we needed to take care of every couple of days. It helped that we could communicate with other Tiffin owners (with macerators) and have an idea of where the problems were originating.

This blog is like a catch-up while we are getting ready for our next BIG trip which will be starting around the first of August. Our friends, Ray and Louise DeCarlo, from Orlando area, have been RVing for several decades, and are routing our destinations We've decided to go to the UP (Upper Peninsular) of Michigan. On the way, a few places we've planned to visit are Renfroe Valley, KY, Louisville, KY (Louisville Slugger and KY Derby), Elkhart, IN (which at one time had over 33 RV mfgrs., Dearborn, MI, Grand Rapids (Gerald Ford's Presidential Museum), Frankenmouth (wherever that is), and Mackinaw Island. If you've ever been to any of these places, let us know if you have any favorite places - and we'll try to go! As you know, it is so HOT in the South, we tend to stay inside during the summer. The North has festivals, outside things to do all during the summer - so we'll look forward to cooling off and enjoying some of the beauty our Country has to offer.