Red Hats & Mardi Gras

Marguerite and I hosted the Red Hats girls today at my house. Bud and Ray cooked omelets in a bag for eighteen girls. We had fruit salad and pecan rolls, ate until we couldn't eat anymore and then we played Left, Right, Center. We also had a white elephant gift exchange. I got a really nice barbecue set. I also won the 50-50 drawing...I think they all had a great time.
Then after they all left we got dressed up for Mardi Gra. We met the gang at Spanish Springs Square and it was already packed by the time we got there. The outfits that people had were wonderful. We had a great time, had our picture taken by strangers and the newspaper. We all ate at Margueritaville, danced at the square and by then I was too pooped to pop. Linda really enjoyed the festivities.
This morning we lots of food left over from the Red Hats so the gang came for breakfast, more omelets in the bag, etc. We ate, laughed and ended up outside just shooting the breeze until around 2 p.m. Linda packed up and left and I just sort of vegged out for a while. Then I made macaroni salad for the Ohio Club potluck tonight.
By 5 o'clock we were on the road again to go to the Lake Miona Rec Center. We had a large table of friends and the entertainment was awesome. So now I am almost falling asleep while I am writing this. I have to go to work to rest up.....

Linda Loves The Villages

I went to work today leaving Bud to entertain Linda until I got home. He took her all around and to some open houses. She looked at some new houses but said she even liked our house better than the new ones. Tonight me and Linda went to Katie Belle's to see the Dunning Shaw and Donna Moore Show. They were all sold out but someone told me to go early and go upstairs to the Cattle Baron Restaurant and if you can get seats by the railing you can see the show. So that is what we did and it worked out beautifully. The seats were great, the food good and the show was wonderful. This is the third time I have seen it and it was as good as the first time. He is one of the best entertainers I have ever saw.
We got home and me and Bud got our veggies and meat ready for our Red Hat party tomorrow. We are expecting about 18 ladies so we will have a house full. Bud chopped and I made pecan rolls to bake in the morning. So right now I am tired....

Sunday, Sunday, Sunday

Went to work today although I really didn't feel like it, oh well, it pays the bills. We were extremely busy and I didn't get out until late. Then Bud and I took the golf cart over to Wal-Mart and the Dollar Store to get some things I needed for our Red Hats on Tuesday. For dinner we had homemade chicken noodle soup which was very good, if I do say so myself.
In the evening we went bowling. Jane wasn't there but we still took three points from a really nice team. I bowled extremely well for me. Jane would be proud...
Then about 10:30 Linda Brietner showed up. She is visiting from Ida for a few days. We talked until 1 a.m. and then I had to go to bed so I could get up in the morning for work. Hopefully I can get off early, I have lots of things to show her.

Saturday, Busy Saturday

Got up early this morning because there is a really big neighborhood garage sale this morning and it starts at 8:30 which means you have to be there by 7 a.m. if you want to get the good stuff. We bought an Ohio State bag chair, a barbeque set, some really nice towels, a purple boa for Madi Gras, a Red Hat purse and a golf vest for me. Then we went shopping for a sofa table at Southern Life Styles. Then we met Pam, Rod, Eva and Bill for the Ohio Club Golf Cart Poker Run. There were 85 people going on the run. None of us won anything but first prize was $50. Then we all went to IHop to eat. It wasn't bad but no atmosphere at all. Then we went over to Pam and Rod's to check out their new granite counter tops and back splash. It sure looks nice. Then after a few brewskys, we headed for the Cruise-In. They had over 200 cars there and the weather was fantastic. The girls headed for the dancing in the square and guys headed to look at cars they once had and can now not afford. Then we ended up in Marguritaville eating grouper balls and listening to music.
I had to hurry up and finish this before I head to bed, it has been a fun but tiring day....

Three Days Off

I spent my three days off running as usual. On Tuesday we worked on the living room, went shopping, etc.In the evening I went to casino night at the Michigan Club. I was really hot on the crap table, too bad we were only playing for fake money..just my luck.But I did win $20 in the raffle. On Wednesday I ran around again, then I cooked a nice meatloaf. We went golfing with Rod and Pam, they won again....but however I did get on the green twice and we had one birdie. However we really screwed up that last hole,ugh...
Then they came back here to eat and decorate, move furniture, etc.
On Thursday we got up to rain. I know we need rain desperately but not on Thursday...that is our shuffleboard and they called it off again. I went to Katie Belle's to get tickets for Linda and me, no such luck, they are all sold out. I got my nails done came home and worked on my scrapbook pages. We are having our expo the first week of March.
Today I worked all day and then met Marguerite at Publix's to buy the food for our Red Hat Brunch on Tuesday.
I came home, made homemade chicken noodle soup, had dinner and now I am resting and reading my new book. Tomorrow is another day....

St. Valentines Day in the Villages

On Saturday morning Bud went with Jim and Mike to help Rod install his kitchen plumbing. They got it done before we had to go to the Polo Field for our Valentine Day show.
We went with some of our friends and they have been advertising for a month, decent price, it sounded so good. Wrong!!!. First they said we couldn't tailgate so we didn't. Well, lots of people did, they set up their tables right where other people could have seen better and heard better. We sat up our chairs and then checked out what was advertised as crafts and vendors. Wrong!! Same old vendors we have at the square four times a week. That's exciting. The acts were okay, nothing special so after about three hours of sitting in the hot sun (92 degrees) we left.
We went home home and got our golf clubs and golfed on Chula Vista. We had a great time and golfed until we couldn't see the ball anymore.
On Sunday I worked and then we went to Lowe's in Ocala because our Lowe's didn't have what Bud needed. He has most of the plantation shutters up and they look fantastic. We had verticals but they were original to the house, nice but they really dated the place. This house is getting to look like a little Florida doll house, really cute, I think. Then we went bowling and had a blast. We took three points from the second place team. We only lost the last game by 30 pins. I finally bowled every game a little over my average. That sure helps the team.
Today, Monday, I worked. We were really busy, almost like a Sunday. I am sure glad I have three days off, got lots of things planned....

St. Augastine & Italian America Club

On Wednesday the gang loaded up in Jim and Jane's van for a day trip to St. Augustine. It was a nice scenic drive and by the time we got there we were hungry so we ate at a little restaurant that served soup, rolls,and cookies. We ate outside.
Then we did the walking tour. We took in all the shops, churches, etc. We went to a big cross on the grounds of a church and then to the beach. We had drinks outside on the second floor of a very large restaurant. On the way home we stopped at the Blackwater Inn on the St. James river and had dinner. A very pleasant day....
On Thursday we got rained out for shuffleboard again!!! Our team would have played because it just rained in the morning but the other coach called it off. What chickens..
On Thursday evening we attended the Italian American Club. We were entertained by a comedian named Chuck Salvo. He was Italian, good looking and excellent. We had a full house, 462 people. They served Italian cookies and coffee and gave each lady a long stemmed rose. It was so good to hear everyone laugh. I could recognize lots of what he had to say about his relatives, etc. It was a great evening.
Today I worked, extremely steady..Bud helped Rod again, went golfing and came home and put up some of our new plantation blinds. I think they look real good. Then we tried to rearrange the furniture. Now that doesn't look so good....We definitely are not decorators...