I hope your New Year is going well!!  It seems I get too busy these days and in this warm, sunny place with so many great friends around me!  This is actually the first year I have been such a 'gad-about' while here in Fl.

We have a calendar just full of great things going on here in Sunshine Village this year. Not to mention all the "Ladies' Days Out" we've had!  All those great Thrift Shops to visit and the neat places we find to have lunch.  There are great crafts to learn, even a new oil painting technique class coming up on Friday which I signed up for.  Last week we made coiled baskets and are working on those lovely knit boa scarves now.  Next week there will be a class on ladder ribbon necklaces.

The Boa Scarf I just finished

  Potlucks, ice cream socials, bonfire night, water aerobics, Wii bowling, American Sign Language Class, and entertainment nights!  This Saturday night we are treated to an evening of gospel music by a great band called The Fruit Pickers from the Baptist Church in Bushnell where I attend services in the winter.  They are such a great lively group with their guitars, banjo, base violin, etc.  Can't miss this!

SO you see where I have been ........ a lot.  Dennis is still working here in the Park and loves it, work is his hobby!  Gotta get it fixed and running right.  Three park models were purchased by the Park and have been remodeled and readied for sale or rental already this year.  Now they are busy rebuilding the big work barn that houses all the equipment needed to keep the place looking good.  A 'break room' is being built there for the workers to enjoy coffee breaks and good fellowship before and after a day's work.  Dennis works closely with another carpenter, Charley, who is also a Vermonter.  Only four day work week, six hours a day...... supposedly...... but there is a lot to do so some time off becomes 'hobby time' for these two.  They both have been called work-a-holics !  We do still manage to get a couple evenings with four other friends to play our lively, competitive card game of Bid Euchre. Girls are doing great this year!

I just hope I don't have some sort of socialization withdrawal when I get back to the hills and quietness of home in VT !  It is a much slower pace there for sure.  I do still have my quiet time nearly every day but just don't seem to get to writing in the blog.  Try to do better!

I am saddened by the passing of a wonderful friend and classmate a couple weeks ago.  BUT she is surely enjoying her heavenly home, free from all the health trials that are so prevalent here on earth!  She surely believed God's Word and especially I John 5:13  "These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God: that ye may KNOW that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God."  Also, I hear of another dear friend who is going through a very hard time now.  It is really hard being so far away when these things happen and we really want to be there physically to just comfort and be comforted by friends and family. My friend Cyndy reminds us that we need to ' pray without ceasing' and we do need to 'rejoice always'. I Thessalonians 16-25.   We are promised that our fervent prayers for one another really are heard and can be of much help. James 5:16.   Of course it is always right and wonderful to be giving thanks in all things, always.

I am looking forward to a visit from our Grandkids next week and the arrival of cousin Natalie and Jerry from VT for their annual stay in FL.

Nick & Mikayla

So now I will go and make dinner, yeah I still call our noonday meal dinner just like my Grammie did. And we do have our big meal at noon as Den is home for that before finishing up his day.  Kinda nice, we don't have to get home early from the pool to make a big meal at night.  Then I am going to plant some radishes and see if we get to eat them before leaving for home.

The grand essentials of happiness are:

Something to Do

Something to Love

And Something to Hope for.

Take care, all and keep well and warm.  I do like your comments so be brave and tell me just what you think!!  So Long and I will try to write more often.