Rendezvous #2 at Bar-B-Q Bills in Chiefland, FL

This is our 2nd year getting together with our kayaking friends from Kingsport, TN, during their Spring Break Florida trip, at Bill's in Chiefland, FL.

Lucy, our birthday girl....# ?????

Lucy, thanks for sharing this photo. Ted is usually taking the pictures, so don't have a lot of photos with him in them.

The kayakers drove about 50 miles and we drove 50 miles to our rendezvous spot. We hope to get them kayaking the Rainbow River next year, which is in our neighborhood. 

"Lotus" Painted Floor Cloth with Vanessa Fuller-Brown at Master the Possibilities

Vanessa Fuller-Brown is a professional muralist, painter, illustrator, and teacher. We are very lucky to have Vanessa as one of the faculty at "Master the Possibilities" program in Ocala, FL.

Getting started on the 30" x 40" floor cloth.... the project is painted on the back of a heavy piece of linoleum and if sealed correctly the design will last for years. 

Vanessa took us step by step through each phase of creating the "Lotus" floor cloth, with instruction on brush techniques, blending, creating custom colors and the nature of working with acrylic paints. Acrylic paint is a highly flexible medium that can resemble both watercolor and oil, depending on the technique and mixture applied by the artist.

Vanessa's sample and instruction product....

Finishing up our all day workshop. The class was scheduled as 6 hours, but with so many steps the class was closer to 7 1/2 hrs.  The time was well spend and all of the students were very please with the final product and new knowledge we had absorbed. 

Jan's finished project....I don't plan to put it on the floor, but use as part of our master bedroom wall decoration.

Spring in Ocala

The front of our home with the new palm tree and spring flowers.  We have had a lot of rain the last few days, so everything is green or blooming....

Across the street Barbara and David were in the Easter spirit with an Easter Egg Tree....

Down the block Joyce and Dennis have a Spring picture post card in their front yard....

Thanks, Glenda, for sharing these photos of this Spring rainbow. The "pot of gold" is right across the street!!!!

"The Official Blues Brothers Revue" comes to Circle Square Cultural Center

The Blues Brothers Revue. officially sanctioned by the Belushi Estate and Dan Anykroyd.

There have been many imitators, but there is only one duo in North America sanctioned by Dan Aykroyd and Judith Belushi to don the official hat and sunglasses and walk in the legendary footsteps of Jake and Elwood Blues. Discovered in Las Vegas, performers Wayne Catania and Kieron Lafferty capture the infectious humor and unbridled spirit of the Blues Brothers like no one since John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd walked the stage.

There is a restaurant here in Ocala,Mojo Grill, which has a lot of Blues Brother memorabilia.  We just happen to have lunch there Friday and got these shots....  

"Because We're Irish" and other Happenings

Happy St Patrick's Day! Had to celebrate with a crock pot full of corned beef and cabbage....

Don and Glenda, our next door neighbors, had their driveway enlarged last week...

Very interesting to watch the process of the layering of sand and cobble stones....

This fellow was waiting very patiently in the Sam's Club parking lot for his owner....it was a beautiful Florida top down kind of day! 

Ted and Jan enjoying their new fire table in the courtyard of our Florida home.

The 55+ community we have retired in is called "On Top of the World Communities" in Ocala, FL. The housing complex has been developed on land that was part of Circle Square Ranch. The ranch is still a working ranch as you can see by this photo of our neighbors.  When working in the yard we can hear the cows in the background.  So it feels like we are still in the country.

 After all Ocala & Marion County is considered " The Horse Capital of the World"

One of only four major thoroughbred centers in the world, Marion County’s 600 thoroughbred farms have produced:

45 National Champions

6 Kentucky Derby Winners

6 Horses of the Year

Preakness Stakes Winners

Breeders’ Cup Winners

"Master the Possibilities" Tai Chi at Sholom Park

Art Stalbow lead this introductory class on Tai Chi as part of "Master the Possibilities" program in beautiful Sholom Park in southwest Ocala.

    Originally developed for self-defense, tai chi has evolved into a graceful form of exercise that's now used for stress reduction and a variety of other health conditions. Often described as meditation in motion, tai chi promotes serenity through gentle, flowing movements.

       Tai chi is an ancient Chinese tradition that, today, is practiced as a graceful form of exercise. It involves a series of movements performed in a slow, focused manner and accompanied by deep breathing.

     Tai chi, also called tai chi chuan, is a noncompetitive, self-paced system of gentle physical exercise and stretching. Each posture flows into the next without pause, ensuring that your body is in constant motion.

Red's Restaurant in Hernando, FL for Breakfast

Had Saturday breakfast at Red's, the go to place in central Florida for breakfast and lunch. Good food, friendly servers, and great prices make for a roadside tradition with a country flair.

Ted had corn-beef hash, eggs and home fries.... Jan went with quiche and home-fries,,,both great meals. 

Dinner at Stumpknockers with Linda and Howard

We were co-workers of Linda and Howards' over 5 years ago in Hillman, MI at Thunder Bay Resort.. We have run into them several times over the years at RV Rallies. This winter they have spent a couple months here in the Ocala area. It was great catching up on all their happening at dinner Wednesday evening.

Howard and Linda are full-time RVers and have a very successful RV business RV-Dreams, which helps folks who are interested in moving into RVing full-time. Check out their website at RV-DREAMS.COM

"Master the Possibilities" Pine Needle Basket Class

The "Master the Possibilities" program, part of On Top of the World Communities in Ocala, FL, offers educational  enrichment programs for life long learning and is open to all. The Pine Needle Basket Class is the most recent offering that I have taken advantage of.

(standing left to right) Sally and our instructor Pam Parins go over basket weaving techniques. Pam is a basket and metal artist, who retired from the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee having worked as a program director & community outreach specialist. Pam now spends her Winters in central Fl and shares her talents at Master the Possibilities.

Our finished baskets. We all did very well for our first attempts and gained great appreciation for basket makers.

The beginnings of Jan's pine needle basket.....

Of course, I had to work my favorite beads into the final product....