Season 2017 in Jensen

It has been far too long since I've blogged.  The end result is usually more trouble than it's worth!  Since Facebook, I don't find it's as important to journal here as I once did.  However, I have a FB friend that reads this and she mentioned awhile back I hadn't blogged for some time!  It is good to be able to use more words ! here....be more wordy??  I know only those that really are interested will stop by and read.  I wouldn't want to fill up newsfeed with paragraphs of personal information that only a handful need to read:)  Saying all that, I do want to update our last season in south Florida!

When we first checked out Holiday Out, we rented a week.  Then we rented a month....then we purchased!  We found the first place, unit 476, not by chance.  It was divine, we felt for sure.  The price was right, the work needed to update could be done by Clyde (except pavers & tree removal).  The neighbors....the best people and will call them friends from now on.  The downside, it was one bedroom and one bath.  So, in our free time (ha) we kept looking for a two bedroom or at least we wanted a two bath.  

In March of this year, we found a 2 bedroom/2 bath!!!  Again, we had all but given up finding one, and felt "led" truly to go check out #99.  We had put ours up for sale (#476) and it sold in a few days.  So, we were riding around in the golf cart looking to rent!  This house (#99) was one we had looked through in January at an open house.  It was decked out, the previous owners spared no expense.  Which made it over our budget.  So, we let it go (never really considered it) until we did!  One Sat. night in Feb., we were eating with our surprise visitors, Becky & Austin.  We were at Cobb's Landing and three ladies from our church asked us about our search.  One sweet lady said "go look at #99 and make an offer".  We laughed and told her, in so many words, that we had seen it but might not work out for us. On Sunday, after church, we saw the same lady out at the same restaurant we were eating (our fave Mulligans), and she said "go look at that house and make an offer"....and we LOL.  I told Clyde, after seeing her that afternoon at the park and she said the same....we need to go see #99 again.  

We called the realtor (who also was the owners daughter) and set up an appt.  Walked through again (with me telling her "we may be wasting your time") and made an offer.  After a little counter back & forth, we came to a deal.  It is beyond our hope & dreams.  Not large at all.....very few in this park are.  Most are on the same size lots, which are not large.  But it has all the amenities we could ask.  Every drawer I opened I was more surprised with it's contents.  It came fully furnished, as the one we left did.

We brought with us two leather recliners and took the nice leather one in our new house to replace them.  We had just purchased a new chair and sofa and left them as well.  Our bedrooms/bedding and baths are super nice.  We hope to have many many (God willing) years there.  If not, we already loved the weeks we have spent there!  Also, we hope our children will enjoy spending time there as well.  Here are a few pics:

Well, that shows the inside except for the first bedroom and baths but they are just as nice as the rest.  I am not trying to boast, but be honest.  These people built it/decorated it for the two of them to live in for years.  However, they only had two years there, which I truly was sad for them.  I didn't know them, just "of" them, but teared up each time we stopped by.  They invited us to a neighbor "sunset" party to meet our new neighbors.  They were so sweet to work with.  Just lovely people.  They were not well and needed to go back home.  I brought my flower pots to deck out the outside, and a couple of my lounge chairs.  Their outside furniture is heavy and super nice.  We already have enjoyed the front porch, which looks (from a distance) at the marina.  I like watching the boats being loaded in the morning and taking off for the day.  

We do miss our utility (extra) room in our #476.  We were able to pull in our bikes each night, put our outdoor furniture in easily.  All one floor, no steps to take furniture up.  All in all, we were very happy and pleased there, but will love the extra space in #99.  We feel very blessed.  There were a few signs that this was the right move for us, I won't take the time for you to read here.  If you stopped by and got this far, you are a good friend!

Holiday Out and Our Place In It

At the ball park last night, I wanted to share photos of our Jensen, Florida place with a friend and I couldn't come up with any.  In catching up, she found we spent last winter there and plan to this year, and she asked about it.  So, this is an update with news & views of our little place in Holiday Out.

We were invited to visit there a couple of years ago.  We rented a couple of places before finding one of our own.  We started small, one bath and one bedroom, to make sure we loved it.  Well, we do.

This winter will be our second one as "snow birds".  We haven't decided exactly when we will hit the road, we may stay home until Jan. 1st (as last year) and travel then, or we may use the weekend (leave on Friday) and spend the holiday at the beach.

 This is the pathway from our parking lot to the Holiday Out beach.

 I added the above two photos for a couple of reasons.  The Rowe's are old friends of the Traynor's (and their best friends) and ours from Bryan Station days.  They were visiting them at HO and we all got to enjoy a meal in Fort Pierce together.  

 I added this one to share our church, Chapel By The Sea.  Choir from Hobe Sound College.  

 This is a pic showing our dining area and three of the best gals at HO.

 This shows the front of the house pretty well, after the new palm and pavers, but before the flowers around the tree were planted.

 Added this one because this is what Clyde does most of the time.  Ride his bike and "shoot the breeze" with his buddies.  Nice guys!

 We have a monthly social/dance at the clubhouse. 

 Our friends that introduced us to this little jewel! Can't thank them enough!

 No one likes photos in bathing suits, but I added it to show what many of us do to spend time together.  Playing Rummikub.  Diane is a whiz!  The lady third on the right, white hair, has since passed away.  She was such a gentle, sweet lady and I am glad to have known her (briefly).

 We have the one BR but a very comfy queen pullout sofa in the TV room!  (we love using it when we have guests:)  Truly comfy with an air mattress! 

The only change now to this photo is we have a new TV cabinet.

 This is the new pickle ball courts (2) that have just been installed and finished for use this coming season.

 This is in the very back of the park so to see the sunset, we ride our bikes (or golf cart).

 This mansion is a mile down the road from us and on the beach side. At Christmas, they put lights on every square inch (or it seems).  So very pretty!

 This is the view from our clubhouse and on Thursdays we have Seaside Cafe where we buy food cooked by the committee and eat together.  Chili, chili dogs, variation of hamburgers, chicken salad, seafood salad and italian sausage.  

 Pots will always look different, depending on if we are there to water.  We planted the palm tree to replace one we didn't like.

 Volunteers for park patrol, Dennis & Clyde.

This was a tea room in Stuart that was such a treat!

 Pretty much as it is today.  We hang out in this room any time we're not outside.

 Fort Pierce is 17 miles down A1A from our place and we love the Jetty.  This is Blue Water Grill.

 We made a two week trip to Holiday Out this summer and loved having the neighbors in.  Couldn't eat outdoors so we made it work in the dining/kitchen area!  By the way, these are the best neighbors.

 Same photo from above, but taken this summer so no flowers in the pots (I'll plant when we get there in January) and the yellow Lantana around the tree and side of house are larger!

 During our summer two week trip, we bought this golf cart.  Excited to use it this January!

I sure have blogged a lot of photos above and most have been either shared here or on Face Book but now they are in one location for me to share!  Many times when someone asks about where we go for the winter, a condo or high-rise, beach side, is what they may think.  This is a very affordable place to own, across the road from the beach (our clubhouse & pool are ocean side) with a tunnel to walk under the highway if you choose.  There are many concrete block 2 story houses, stucco ones, two BR units as well as RV's/motor homes and everything in-between.  You own the lot and put on it what you wish (or rent).  Holiday Out at Jensen Beach.