Hi Everyone!

I haven't posted anything on the blog this year as some of you might have guessed by now.  So no, I haven't been subject to an alligators dinner.   Jack is just so much better at statistics than I am; I am more of an emotional writer, so I tend to rattle on about this or that when it isn't necessary.  Remember Dragnet?  "Stick to the facts ma'am. Just the facts."  I'm not a fact kind of gal.  If I ever committed a crime the police would let me go just to shut me up.

Anyhow......This has been a great (almost) two months.  We've met some wonderful people and had lots of fun.  Each Friday we attend a Pass the Trash card party that has evolved in to a food carry in/social night/stories of days gone by/and last but not least, cards.  We have very much enjoyed our time with "the group" but look forward to Going Down the Road A Piece in a few weeks.

In our group is Herman and Toni.  They are the "younguns" of the group.  54 and 55 respectively.  I love them both and they have been through so much hardship in their lives but you'd never know it by their laughter and attitude.  Both come from Detroit and both have had their confrontations with the KKK and horrible, racist behaviors from, what they say, most generally, rednecks.   Even as little as 2 years ago on the Indiana State Toll Road.  Herman and his aunt were driving when a truck with three white men pulled up beside them.  They proceeded to pull out their white KKK hats and place them over their head.  What the rednecks in the truck didn't know was that Herman's aunt is a DEA agent.  She pulled out her gun.   Needless to say the driver of the truck put the pedal to the medal.  When Herman was 20 he was knifed across the back of his neck.  The cut severed his spinal cord and the doctors operated but told his mom that he would never walk again.  He was determined to prove them wrong.  He would take his wheelchair out to the sidewalk and pull himself up on to a chain link fence that went a couple of lawns down the block.  He'd walk up and down the fence and up and down the fence.  For months and months Herman did this. But Herman can walk today.  I asked him if was painful.  He laughed and said the most painful part of the whole process was praying that the guy that cut him wouldn't come back with a gun.  I enjoy hearing about the lives of others especially those who have been knocked down and pulled themselves back up and kept on fighting.

We've managed to keep busy; sometimes busier than I would like but we have had a great time seeing new things and meeting new people.  While at Bellingrath's Home and Garden we visited a beautiful little chapel  tucked away in the gardens. We knelt and said a few prayers and then we proceeded to renew our vows.  Of course no minister was present; just God and I'm thinkin He's all we needed.  Bellingrath was one of the most beautiful magical places I've ever been.  I loved it.

We've enjoyed the bike trails and walking around the miles of the campground.  We've met several people from Warsaw and Muncie.  Not to mention the couple who came up to me while sitting in the screen room and asked if I was Janet, the wife of Jack who retired from Zimmer?  We had met them in Bluffton, Indiana a few years back while camping there.  I've learned to like SOME seafood.;  fried oysters, baked oysters on the half shell, catfish, salmon and flounder. Still haven't learned to like shrimp or beer.  Never will on the shrimp.  The beer is questionable.  I go through periods of years where I hate the taste of beer and then I will  
drink one.

As I said, in a few weeks we will moving down to Florida.  We are looking at homes right now in Dunedin, Florida and hope to buy one before we return to Indiana in May.  We chose Dunedin because of it's charm, downtown atmosphere (one of only a few along the Gulf that has a "true" downtown.) it's right on the Gulf and the Panelis bike/running trail runs through the city and I believe goes for 50 miles.

And now you know why I don't blog.......Just the facts, Ma'am.  Just the facts.