Spring Adventures

 Clyde has been working over time lately, going to work at six and getting off later than normal.  So, today he took off.  It was not a pretty day for a ride, and started to sprinkle, but never did rain.  We put the top back down for our ride home.  

 Today's destination, Wyonnette's Restaurant in Harrodsburg.  Very small place.  Opens for breakfast and lunch 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. M-Th and on Friday 6 to 8 p.m.  Sat. 7 a.m.-11 a.m. and not open Sunday.

The meal was too big for lunch, if I plan to eat supper!  I was afraid it might be, so fruit was for breakfast.  He seems to find these home cooked, inexpensive places.  You could choose between three meats (choose one) and choose three vegetables.  Each plate meal is $5.00.  The desserts are $1.00 each.  

 After lunch he drove me over to Fort Harrod.  On Fridays, you can bring your lunch (we could have gotten ours to go, but not the best weather) and today the entertainment for "lunch in the park" was a very good magician.  He also played the banjo.

 The kids would have LOVED climbing this tree.  Especially Matthew.  They may get to when they came here for a field trip to Fort Harrod.  I hope so!

For many years when I was growing up, we had a Davis family reunion here at Fort Harrod.  This pavilion is where we met.  Granny's birthday is Aug. 11th, so we would meet then and all the aunts, uncles and cousins would come.  Good memories.  Loved these hot, very hot, reunions of good food.  Todays lunch was a reminder of our food way back then!

This is an "odd" picture of someone's house!  My favorite aunt was my mom's sister, Aunt Gertrude.  She and Uncle Orville moved to Lake Harrington many years ago and built, what I remember as, a very nice house!  It had a big porch across the back with a big fireplace inside.  Best of all, it overlooked the lake and I spent several hot summer days sitting on their dock.  Back to the house above, I thought I could spot theirs.  I couldn't.  This was one that might have been.  The address (of this house) is 624 Norman's Camp Rd.

I titled this blog post "Spring Adventures" so I will post a few pictures here that I have, most likely, posted on FB.  I use to use this media as my journalling....before FaceBook!  

 Watching Maggie play her last year of tee-baseball was a BIG spring fun thing.  She was such a good player, she hustled, never gave up and when she missed, she still smiled.  She hit the ball to the field most all at bats.  She missed a few too!  

 This is a picture after PLD baseball camp.  They really liked going.  Matthew was on his second year of the Minor league playing for the Tigers.  He had a very good year, playing 2nd base.  We didn't get to enough of his (LONG) games.  Austin played for the Pirates (Major league) and as a 9 year old, didn't play much.  He was also on a Jr. Major team, the Bats.  

 Visiting mom at her new place, Liberty Ridge.  I don't go as much as I use to visit she, dad and Kent at their home on Lamont.  It was so handy to my route home after school (work) so I went by two to three times every week....for many years.

Lucas and Pilgrim playing at the Library.  Lucas loved the bubbles and Pilgrim loved watering the flowers and the train table.

My next post will be of the yard, this blog is called "Lantern's Garden" (my hubs named it, so I need to post flowers!)

If you read this, thanks!  I post for my own memory, but like to share it with you.

Jensen Beach

Last year after our week in New Smyrna Beach, Clyde and I drove on south to Jensen Beach.  We wanted to check out the mobile park, Holiday Out, where our friends have a lot.  We looked at open lots, where you can pull an RV/camper, we looked at park models, singles with a Florida room, and bigger homes.  Some are double wides, some are even two story.  We didn't want to put a lot of money in a place that possibly a hurricane could come and we lose our investment.  You can't get hurricane insurance on older models.   We liked this area, this park, the activities, the people and hoped we could find a place.  

So, January 1st, we headed south to Holiday Out.  We rented a place that was not real nice inside.  We rented it for a month but would not rent it again.  During the first couple of weeks there, we were at an event "Bash By the Beach".  We sat at a table with our friends, Valerie & Dennis (that showed us the ropes) and met a couple, Maureen & Pier.  Through our conversation about buying, Pier mentioned a place to Clyde.  He knew of an elderly man, Bill Shearman, age 93, that was recently moved into a nursing home.  He had one of the smaller places, a single with a finished Florida room.  It had brown wood paneling, one bedroom, one bath with a wooden deck on the back.  We called his family to see if they wanted to sell and they did.  Actually, they wanted to to sell it quickly and took our offer without a counter offer.

On Feb. 4th, we closed on this place.  Immediately, Clyde had a few small leaks to fix, an air conditioning duct under the mobile to connect, light fixture in kitchen to replace, three ceiling fans to change, the paneling to paint and more to do when we return.  It is in a great location, Jensen Beach, across A1A from the clubhouse, pool, and private beach.  We hope to spend many years to come there and continue to enjoy the people (friends) at HO. 

Here are a few of the "before" and "after" pictures, although we are just getting started.  More changes to come!

This is before he raised the shutters out 4 ft.

He removed this table/desk and painted the paneling white.

We threw away this sofa/loveseat (offered to give it away first)

We don't have an "after" yet of the deck.  Plan to replace it with pavers.

Air conditioner new last July, 2014.

All the floor registers had to be replaced.

This is an example of the new registers (bottom).

This was a quick (should have been easy) change that made a vast improvement.

New range hood/fan/light

Replaced fan with light in the kitchen (above).  One without light, lower ceiling, Florida room (TV room).

Before paint

Started with primer, not easy to paint twice.  All the cutting in wore him out.

Added framed canvas above left.  Took out sofa to Florida room.  Still need window valances.

We hosted a small dinner party to say thank you to those that helped us and "goodbye for now".

This is looking out the dining/kitchen area, with the shutters pushed out.   So much better!

Before bookshelves and walls were painted off white.
Door to the left leads to back unfinished work/storage room.

After paint, moved sofa here from kitchen area.

This is a queen sofa sleeper that we covered with an off white cover.  And moved it to the Florida room (from the kitchen area).  We may purchase a new sofa at some point.

If you look around us, you can see the bookshelves, painted white (with the walls).

New towels (brown) and picture for the wall.

Changed out the shower curtain, shells not flowers.

This is the old shower curtain & rug.

Old room.  No mattress, but cool model airplanes he built.  They were not left behind.

This is the new quilt, but still need new lights.  We did replace the valance, but don't have a pic.

Well, the best part of this place are the amenities.  The clubhouse, pool and beach.  But mostly, the people.  We feel very blessed to have met so many nice, nice people.  

Third Post from Jensen

Today was our second Sunday at Jensen and we began by attending the Chapel By the Sea church.  They honored those that have died this past year from Holiday Out.  There were 35 I believe and they placed a long stem rose in a vase in honor of each one.  It makes me so happy that there were more in attendance for church here than anything we have been part of so far.  

I am trying to think of any new things to blog about since last post! We have joined several activities and gone to a couple of "whole park" type of things.  We always saw bocce ball but never played.  A couple of men were playing and took mercy, asked us to play, and taught us how.  It was easy to pick up, not so easy to control rolling the balls.  For me that is.  Clyde did well....beat me quickly.  

This was a cool day and we went to eat at Seaside Cafe (at the clubhouse) then came out and learned bocce ball.

We met friends from Canada last spring and through our friend's, Valerie and Dennis, we quickly hooked up again with Diane, Sharon and their sweethearts.  Diane keeps Rummikube  active at the pool.  She and Don also taught us Sequence (Clyde and I have only played once:) but we liked it and bought us a mat at the local flea market.

After walking around for a short time the enormous flea market, we stopped and watched the Cats play Texas A & M in a game too close for comfort!  Double overtime, but we managed a Win!

We have spent some time riding bikes, but just slowly around the mobile park (Holiday Out).  Mostly checking out anything and everything that is for sale.  We have looked inside several places trying to find one suitable for our needs (and priced right).

The three pics above are from our "meet and greet" last night called "Bash by the beach" which is in the clubhouse.  We each took a canned good to donate, an appetizer (I took a chutney cheese ball) and our own drinks (we just had lunch at Flanigans, so we took our refill cup of iced tea...yummy).  The theme was hawaiian and looked great.  After we chatted and ate, they took up the food tables, and several danced (we only did that one dance!)  We did meet two nice couples that sat at the table with us and the Traynors.  

Taking our lunch out or just a snack at the beach was something I enjoyed.  We can't take food in the pool area, so this is nice.

Last pic today, this is from lunch at Shuckers (spelling?) a fun restaurant on the ocean.  It is right across the road from our place (and down a short way), with a great view of the sea.  We ate there today (Sunday).  Ended the day watching football, walking down to a mobile we are checking out (a little too high for our small budget), and blogging (me)....Clyde is reading.  So, tomorrow begins another week.  May be rainy and coolish, but we will enjoy it!  Thankful.