…Leaving in an hour for Ireland for the month of July.  It has been a hectic two weeks, but please stay tuned as my computer is coming with me and I hope to be sharing pictures from Sean’s homeland.  Yikes, just realized…a month on an island with all Irishmen…just kidding, should be a lot of fun.

…whenever I don’t write at least four blogs a week, so you can imagine how guilty I feel right now.  There are some days I don’t even feel retired, it seems I’m playing catch up all day, and that is how this week has been. I do have a reason though as I arrived in New Jersey this morning and will be here for 10 days.  When I return on the 30th I will have just a few days to unpack and then pack again to leave for Ireland for the month of July.  I think once I get to Ireland I will have more time to relax and write, or at the very least post some beautiful pictures.  I’m in New Jersey to celebrate my Grandsons graduation from High School, so I am anticipating this will be a busy week.  In fact I’m not sure whether this computer is leaving tomorrow with another Grandson who is attending  a six week engineering course at Vanderbilt University, so I may be computerless.  If there are no blogs for 10 days, I did not fall off the side of the earth or anything worse, but know that I will be back.   Just a heads up for anyone flying out of Orlando/Sanford Airport it has gotten extremely busy.  It use to be you walked in, there were two or three people in line to check in their baggage, you went to the gates and went right through security and  had plenty of time to get coffee or a paper or magazine.  Today, we got there 1 hour and 15 minutes early and there were lines and lines.  By the time we got through security we went to the gate and walked right on to the plane.  That is not good.  We were the next to last to board and it is an experience to walk down the isle of a fully loaded plane.  It was not that they were waiting for us to take off, but from the looks we got you would think that was the case.  The flight was excellent – 2 hours and 2 minutes later we landed in Pennsylvania and headed to Northern NJ.  Alls well that ends well, and it did. 

…to all Fathers, relax and enjoy your day.  One of the best Father’s Day gifts I ever bought was the book How To Father by Dr. Fitzhugh Dodson. Even though I was not the father, I read and reread it from cover to cover.  My child raising years were the early 60’s and the one book we all read was Dr. Spock.  However Dr. Spock was great for fevers and sprains and rashes but a new wave a books were coming out about how severely we might damage our children’s psyche if we raised our voices, spanked them or made them do things they didn’t want to do.  My sons were around two and four and I was reading books by Dr. Hiam Ginott and the like and fearful that I was the worst Mother in the world as I was not raising my voice and was not stifling their creativity, therefore I had a two year old and a four year old that were totally out of control. Along came Father’s Day and I spied How To Father, that’s certainly an appropriate gift.  I got it home and started reading it, I barely put it down long enough to wrap it and present it before I curled up again and read.  I fell in love with Fitzhugh.  He explained so much about the nature of children.  An example was a child will crawl to a light receptacle and reach out…you will remove him and he will crawl right back.  You figure he is not listening to you, but he is learning.  If you notice when he crawls back he is using his other hand to see if he gets the same reaction.  The book just opened my eyes plus he was not opposed to raising your voice and tapping them on the bottom.   These methods were to be used when danger lurked.   Their little lives changed the day I got the book and I really thank Dr. Dodson for the confidence he gave me when raising them.  I would use Fitzhugh Dodson’s name a lot to my friends, my husband and also to them.  Sometimes when disciplining them I would say Fitzhugh Dodson says this is OK, I can raise my voice.  I realized what an impact he was having on our sons when one day I piled them into the back of the Volkswagen Bug and was driving down our street.  I noticed that our neighbors, who had children our sons ages, had gotten a new car.  I remarked that oh look, Wendy’s parents got a Datsun.  I hear two little groans from the back seat.  I asked what the matter was and they said is it like our Datsun.  I said no no, we have a Volkswagen.  With that my older son said, no we don’t we have a Fitzhugh.  I think I stopped using his name so much, but not his methods, and I also think my sons are better off today because of the way I approached child rearing.  That and they had a very good  Father that was an important part of their lives.  Wishing him and all Fathers, a very happy day.

…talk.  Well, actually I think hats say a lot, maybe not out loud, but many tell a story, send a message, open up conversations, and even make a person popular or not so popular. Hats come in all sizes and colors, some with brims and some brimless. There’s the top hat, the fedora, the cowboy hat, the beret, the bowler, also known as derby, the fez and the baseball cap.  Woman were seen to be undressed if they went out without a hat or bonnet, and when I was growing up a female could not enter some churches without something on their head, even if you had to use your handkerchief.  Gone are the enormous bonnets adorned with ribbons, feathers, flowers and tulle, only to be brought out at Southern weddings and horse races.  Straw fedoras with team color bands are becoming popular and seen at sporting events around the world.  Now, take the baseball cap.  It is the only hat style that is an American creation, it is a simple functional style and is as American as apple pie.   It is an icon which came into its’ own during the Babe Ruth era.  Baseball has the distinction of being the only American sport where a hat is an official part of a uniform and where its’ fans can wear an exact replica of the hat worn by their heroes on the field.  When I look around The Villages I see many hats with many stories.  I think the women do a remarkable job of matching their bath suits, their golf outfits, or their outfits in general to their hats. I used to be a lover of hats but my tastes have changed, however I have one hat I like but when I wear it I get some negative feedback, especially from Sean.  I asked him to take my picture in it this morning and he refused while muttering I hate that hat.  It is one of the hats pictured here.   All of us come from different areas of the country and our hats are worn like walking billboards telling people where we came from, or what college we went to, what team we support, what courses we have played and even what charity we support.  Some are adorned with priceless autographs, however these are rarely worn, but displayed prominently somewhere where others can view them.  I love the sparkly sequined  hats, I think those wearing them are happy, and that makes me happy. Some dispense with the cap part of the hat and wear just the brim, or visor, portion. They also send messages.  In The Villages we also have the working hat…anyone who plays golf is familiar with this one      it’s very official looking and is.  However I do have one concern and it is pretty big.  There is the saying never throw your old clothes out as the style will come back, and I know we have seen that many times.  It is said that the first hat was an animal skin which was put on top of the head for protection from the elements.  It was realized that covering your head was an advantage, and not only was it considered the first hat, but also the first article of clothing.  If you notice we are still wearing hats but our clothing is getting skimpier and skimpier and I just don’t want to even think about it.  Imagine all those people running around with just hats.  I can’t and that is what concerns me.

…the water aerobics class begins.  Within 15 or 20 minutes, had I been able to take a picture, the pool would have been full of exercisers and their paraphernalia which ranges from shoes to noodles to weights to waist flotations and to arm flotations.  I don’t want to forget to mention, and thank, the instructors, who so selflessly volunteer their time to keep us all fit, they are the best.   I started doing deep water aerobics when I first came to The Villages in 2004 and it was the first place I met friends, which I kept and also consider my best friends today.  Interesting that we were able to have classes all winter and it was never too cold, in fact I don’t remember ever missing a class at that time because of the temperature.  However over the years it has gotten chillier and chillier and normally classes are called off when it dips under 50 degrees, as many mornings have.   I never thought I would be a wimp when it came to going in the water, but this past winter I hate to admit it but I stopped going. I blamed the weather, I also blamed my blog writing and even blamed Sean for being home due to the closing of the Tierra Del Sol golf course for six months.  Unfortunately it really boiled down to I was lazy.  I got in a very comfortable rut and convinced myself that I was retired and I could do anything I wanted to do, until I went to the Doctors for my routine check-up.  He looked at my numbers and my chart and said you stopped exercising.  The look on my face gave me away and I sheepishly had to agree with him.  So I started back and I have to say my favorite is deep water, but there are many, many classes everyday at all the sports pools. Most are in the morning and you can find them all listed in Thursday’s Recreation News under schedule of pool activities.  When I entered the pool the first time after so long, I was furious with myself as I had forgotten how much I loved it.  I highly recommend this form of exercise to anyone who likes the water.  If you’ve thought you might like to try it, just jump in once and I guarantee you you’ll come back for more.

 …animals and people too, in The Villages.  The other evening I happened to be attending a Lifelong Learning Class and found myself sitting next to a young, very impressive entrepreneur. We shared our stories, you know, which village we live in, how long we have been here, and then always the most interesting part of the conversation is what brought us here.  Her background was education and I highly respected her credentials and her achievements, but wait a minute did she have a shirt on that said Jill Will?  With the level of curiosity I have, I had to ask her what will Jill do?  She proceeded to tell me……I loved her story.  She decided to leave Chicago for the same reason I left New Jersey, the weather.  She decided this is where she wanted to be after visiting her parents.  How lucky are they.  I don’t consider myself a jealous person except for one exception and that is I’m green with envy of those Villagers that have a child, or children living nearby, in fact even  Atlanta, Charlotte and Charleston are considered nearby to me.  Anyway, upon moving south Jill decided to do something she really has a passion for, and for that I admire her.  I think many of us are following our passion now and we think we should have done this sooner, but what a courageous young lady to do it long before retirement age.  She brings her teaching spirit and talent to her business,  as she offers obedience and behavoiral training as well as pet care.  That is what impressed me so.  I wish her good luck and good fortune, and I think our pets would thank her too if they could. Meetings are for meeting, and this one was special.

.. Sumter County has instituted the CodeRED Emergency Notification System, which is an ultra high-speed telephone communication service for emergency notifications. The system is capable of dialing 50,000 phone numbers per hour and then delivers a recorded message to a live person or an answering machine, making three attempts to connect to any number.  The primary use of CodeRED is to notify residents of an immediate emergency such as severe weather, boil-water notice, missing child or evacuation notices. Also it may also be used to alert a neighborhood to watch for a lost child, an impaired individual who has walked away, or dangerous individuals that may be in the area.  I have never lived in an area where the safety of the residents is the highest priority of the community.  It is very comforting knowing that every possible situation is covered, from quick response time to  health emergencies to now the Emergency Notification System.  The system is only as good as the telephone database supporting it.  If your phone number is not in the database you will not be called, however you have the ability to add your number directly into the system by going to the following website  www.sumtercountysheriff.org/Divisions/emcodered.asp and just follow the prompts.  I think this is timely, as we are  anticipating our first tropical storm of 2013 today.  I do have to say I love the steady rain I’m watching right now. I call this a Florida Snow Day, which I believe I blogged about awhile back. I did in February 2012 to be exact.   Anyway Sean just mentioned this is the first time since we have lived here (10 years) that we could not go out in the morning because it is raining hard.  He has been known to exaggerate a little, but I don’t think it has been that many times, in fact I can’t remember the last time and I think my memory is pretty good.   We normally get bursts of rain and then the sun, but it is New Jersey dreary right now and looks like it will this way for a day or two.  Grab a good book and enjoy the water we are getting and don’t forget to stay safe.

…The Garden That Keeps Giving….…is a Community Garden that was established by a Village resident  in the late 1990s for the simple purpose to grow food for people who need it, and gather volunteers who shared his love of the outdoors and love of gardening.  Over the years the garden has supplied as much as 23 tons of vegetables in one season to nearby soup kitchens, food banks and churches.  The 2 acre garden produces tasty crops of onions, cucumbers, squash, peppers, bush beans, tomatoes, okra and eggplant.  Some of the volunteers have had prior farming experience and others have never planted a seed, but want to help those lesss fortunate.  Many of us have had a backyard vegetable garden and know how much work goes into keeping ahead of the weeds and the insects, the rabbits and the groundhogs. When I stood to take pictures I was in awe of the amount of volunteer hours that must go into soil preparation, planting, growing and then harvesting,   all done with others in mind.  It is this type of selfless service that makes the The Villages what it is.  We are thought of as the friendliest hometown, I happen to feel we are the most caring hometown. The garden is located next to the Woodworkers Shop and you can get there by golf cart.  Rio Grande Avenue to Chula Visata Avenue to left on Palermo Place.  Go straight to the curve and take the golf cart path that goes to the ballfields and the driving range.  Go left behind the driving range, pass the woodshop and it is on your left.  If you went  by car you would take Rt.#466East and go left on Rolling Acres Rd. and it is behind the Woodshop on the left.  I’m not sure what their schedule is but it used to be Monday, Tuesday and Wednesdays early in the morning. If you want to find out more information, I suggest you stop by.  Straw hats off and thanks to all the volunteers who give so much.  Viva Le Gardeners.

…but my oldest grandson, who is about to graduate from high school in a couple of weeks, and he is singing one of Frank Sinatra’s hits with the High School Jazz Band. I will take this opportunity to brag a little bit, well brag a lot, as he has the best voice in the world.  He really does, and I am convinced that you will be begging  me to get you on the tour bus some day, or at the very least a ticket to his show, and I will.  When he and his cousin were 12 yrs. old and his brother was 10, I volunteered to be their personal driver every Thursday and Friday.  I was at their disposal on Thursdays to take them anywhere they wanted to go, starting at any time, they could choose where they wanted to eat lunch, and they could tell me what they wanted for dinner, and I would cook it.  They would have a sleepover and then swim all day Friday.  I’m sure they did not consider it their best summer, but it was certainly one of mine.   Oh, they were each given a small amount of money to spend, which would include money for lunch and whatever else they wanted to do that day.  We would go to Hobby Town USA, that was a must stop.   We would eat at KFC, Subway or Frank’s Pizza, those were the favorites.  It was then on to play Lazer Tag and then home, where I could cook their favorite meal.  Many lessons were learned that summer.  If they packed their own lunch they had more money for Hobby Town, or they could buy an extra lazer tag game by giving the driver a few extra hugs and telling her she was the best.  I also learned that summer too, and that was that they had beautiful voices and they all loved to sing, and would.  Their Grandfather raised them with music, so it was natural for them to sing and I do believe they inherited his musical genes.  They would sing in the car to me and I loved every minute.  My Frank Sinatra protege was always encouraged to pursue singing, however getting up on stage and singing in front of your peers is a not something a young high school boy wants to do.  He did come into his own this year.  It is wonderful to see and I’m really happy for him. Oh, and these are not Elvis Presley’s blue suede shoes either.  These belong to my crooner, he sings but is also in to vintage anything from anywhere.  These are a pair of his Great Grandfathers, and the entire family is so happy to see them going to good use.  It was fortunate that there was a prom he could wear them to and that is exactly what he did. Friday night.  I’ve heard he has a trench coat that his Mother won’t allow him out of the house with, however I think he is going to need it if he continues on the path he is heading down. I think I should google Frank Sinatra’s Grandmother, as it seems like we may have something in common.

…this is not the birthplace of Pinocchio, but it certainly could have been, as there is a formidable amount of woodworkers and wood carvers busy at work here every day. The Village Woodshop      is the home of 780 members of The Villages Woodworkers  Club.  This is just one more example of The Villages having something for everyone, and it is always top notch and in excellent condition.  Members do go through training to be eligible to use the equipment, however that is certainly understandable for the sake of their safety, as well as the safety of others.In the reception area there is a poster on the counter that reads as follows:  “The Villages Woodworkers Club Special Projects group is an association of members who volunteer their time and skill in support of the community.  We are happy to help with items that are in need of repair and can possibly assist by building unique items that would be difficult to purchase.  We are not a Custom Furniture Store and we want to be sensitive and not take work that local businesses need for their livelihood.  If you seem unable to find a solution to your problem, maybe we can help!”  How nice is that? In addition to working on their own projects, or special projects, they also make and distribute  toys to less fortunate children.  Last year they made over 5000 toys that were given out, not only at Christmas but throughout the year. These are the Santa Claus woodworkers, and then you have the Geppettos, the wood carvers that meet ever Tuesday and Thursday mornings.  They have made over 200 Eagle Canes for veterans.  The eagle head on the handle is beautifully carved and then the veteran chooses how he would like the rest of the cane decorated. The receptionist was a very friendly volunteer who took the pictures for me in the shop and also took time to talk to me about the goings on there.  One thing I found interesting, and it is a theme that runs through The Villages, is every member has to volunteer some of their time to do something. While I was there an individual was picking up a birdhouse that had been made for him.  Some woodworkers come and spend all day, therefore their is a nice area where they can sit, have their lunches and enjoy the company of other woodworkers.  The lunch pails seen there look like they have had many a lunch packed into them.  The great thing about these lunch breaks is they have no limit (I don’t think) there is no one watching the clock.  The woodshop is located on Rolling Acres Road, however you can get there by golf cart.  Rio Grande Avenue to Chula Vista Avenue, left on Palermo Place, go straight and at the first curve there is a golf cart trail that will take you to the ballfields and driving range.  Follow the trail and the building will be towards your left.  If you want a real treat go to their website at www.thevwc.org where you can get all sorts of information, but above all you will see some really professional pictures of projects.  I’ve been here for nine years now, and it never ceases to amaze and impress me how many  great things we have, and this is just another example.  Check out their website, I know you’ll be impressed too.