Tis the Season.....

'Tis the Season....

The first month has flown by and here it is Christmas. It is strange to be in the sunshine and think it is Christmas, although there are pine tree lots where people are loading up a tree for decorating and Santa has been spotted at the mall. Christmas carols are playing everywhere and decorated palms line the streets offering up a magical glow of waving stars at night. There are no crisp nights though, where the air feels fresh and clean as the snow falls, something only a northerner can understand. I do not miss the cold temperatures, ice and bitter winds so in Florida I will stay for now.  

It’s been a month filled with gatherings, parties and days of leisure by the pool. A pretty good life we live down here in sunny Florida. It goes without saying that we miss our friends and family up north, but it is easy to succumb to the lure of the sun.   

The party at the club house was very lively this year . A more relaxed event than usual with a cocktail party and yummy catered appetizers made for a really pleasant time. There was lots of mingling and sharing of stories and laughter rang out loud and clear. It was a lot of charades for me as I still did not have my voice back from laryngitis but a good time none the less.  

Mark and Penny, a fun loving couple from North Dakota had a big open house Christmas event that also brought much joviality to the season. We were able to meet so many new delightful people and renew some old acquaintances from years past.   Of course the food was above and beyond including Mark’s BBQ style sloppy Joes. The clock ticked away quickly and a late night pursued drawing us into the wee early morning hours. Thankfully it was a short walk home, just 2 buildings down.

Christmas Eve was a small gathering at our condo for cocktails and appetizers. There were about 14 of us that laughed and danced the evening away. Not a traditional quiet reflective Christmas Eve, but rather a lively happy time.  Another late night that was well worth it!  Christmas morning included as brunch with friends followed by a swim at the pool.  A quick cleanup and then we darted off to a late afternoon Christmas dinner with a few friends at their condo.  The evening was topped off by a late night swim under the full moon and waving palm trees. A perfect end to a beautiful day.

Believe it or not, Saturday we were invited to a wine tasting. Another wonderful evening passed with a splendid group of people, sipping wine and reminiscing of our youth. Yes , we must be getting old when we start discussing “the good old days”. 

New Years is just around the corner and the rest of the snowbirds will arrive be arriving this week. The New Year’s Eve dance at the club house should be a blast as a great live band has been booked to play. It will be a good time to kick off our shoes and dance the night away.

We wish everyone a Happy Holiday Season with many blessings for the New Year!

Christmas party
 

Christmas Day

We made it.....

The trip down to Florida was great as we stayed ahead of the bad weather. Our stop in Kentucky to see our friend Laura was fun with lots of laughs and lively discussions. There south is known for its pleasantries and Laura certainly lived up to ideals of gold old fashioned southern hospitality. Saturday morning before we toured Louisville we dined at a lovely tucked away French restaurant. a full menu of French fare was not to disappoint as the breakfast crepes were to die for. We resisted the temptation to purchase the home made mouth-watering chocolates. The beautiful display of chocolate Christmas scenes was really something to see. We toured an art gallery in an old hotel, drove through the old streets of Louisville to see the historic brick mansions and buildings that are landmarks in the city. Of course we spent some time at Churchill downs and watched a couple of races.  The rain poured down by late afternoon so we headed back to Laura's for wine and baked Brie before a delicious supper of BBQ lamb chops. So delicious!!! 



smoke rings art at the gallery
 





 

We arrived early afternoon on November 23rd and immediately felt at home, back in Harbour Isle. It did not take long to settle into routine with activities especially morning aquacises and afternoon pool time. There was lots of hugs of welcome back and good to see you which truly made us feel welcomed backed into this wonderful community. Everyday more snowbirds arrive and I am sure this will continue right up to New Years.

This year we were invited to  celebrate American Thanksgiving with our friends Deb and Mike and their family. A totally untraditional meal of Chicken Paprikash, which was so yummy. This is Mikes grandmother's traditional Hungarian recipe. Everyone loved it as usual and it was served over my favorite cavetelli pasta. We spent most of the afternoon at the pool together with the Paprikash cooking in the crockpot. At 4:30 I helped Deb prepare the last of the meal while munching on huge fresh shrimp accompanied by Mikes famous homemade cocktail sauce.  Deb's  4yr old grandson Joey fell asleep at the table with his fork in his hand and nearly fell off his chair, so off to bed he went. It was a great day and we feel lucky to have such great friends here.

Unfortunately, I have had tonsillitis and laryngitis since I arrived. The antibiotics seem to be working but not as fast as I would like. Apparently this laryngitis that is going around can last up to 2 weeks so I guess I have a little longer to croak out my words. The fresh air and sunshine are enjoyed anyway so I can easily spend days lazing by the pool.  Roger seems well so far so I hope he does not catch it.

This weekend is the Harbour Isle Christmas Party and a wonderful catered cocktail event has been planned. The club house will be abuzz as party goers mingle and partake in the festive fare.

It has been a rainy weekend unfortunately, but they are promising sun for Monday.  Next weekend is the lighted boat parade and the golden pond light show. This week is also a light display at Heathcote gardens that I hear is really beautiful set among all the trees , bushes and flowers. We did not get there last year so I hope to this year. The harbour front has a light and music show that has palm trees wrapped in flashing lights set to Christmas music. This plays out every night until just after New Year . The dazzling music and flashing lights is a great backdrop for all the kids that come out after supper to dance under the palms.
I have not taken many pictures yet but I will be sure to post some soon.

Take care all and enjoy that great weather I hear you are having.
Carol
ps. I now have new antibiotics and a had a cortisone shot , so lets hope they work.!!!

November 13^th 2015

We are preparing.....

It is that time of year again and we are preparing to head south to sunny Florida. Closing up the house, preparing the yard, gathering our belongings, purchasing health insurance, packing and ensuring adequate funds is all part of the preparation. As we gradually work our way through the to-do list the reality of leaving friends and family behind sinks in. There is always a tug at the heartstrings as I think of not seeing the grandkids for several months except by skype. It is not quite the same as feeling their soft skinny little arms around you as they give the biggest of hugs with a sweet smile that says I love you.  I remind myself it is only for four months and that we will miss all the freezing cold and snow and suddenly I know that Florida is calling!

Everyone asks us why we leave so soon but as the snow blankets the ground this morning I am reminded why.  Cold, snow and grey depressing November skies are exactly why we load up the car and head to Florida. Every year I think to myself, we could go later, maybe wait until after Christmas, it’s not that bad, but one cold day and I shiver and grab the suitcase. Yes, I admit, I am a wimp, but a least I will be a warm one.

I will try and blog as faithfully as I can, although I know sometimes there are gaps when we get busy. Many of you enjoy the pictures so I will take note and try to give a bit more of a pictorial. We are leaving mid-November, stopping again in Kentucky to see friends and then be in Florida before American Thanksgiving.

We say goodbye to family and friends here and are welcomed by our winter friends in Florida. We are fortunate to have such wonderful people in our life both in Manitoba and Florida.  Take care everyone and see you in the spring.