Magical Dining is a program in Central Florida for restaurants to offer special deals to patrons and donate money to charity. It is usually August and September, which are historically slower times. This gives locals and tourists an opportunity to try spots they normally would not try. Last week we went to Dubsdread Country Club but didn’t check times, so we missed out on the special. That was fine because the food was still good, and we enjoyed our meals.
This week we tried something completely different. Sea World’s SHARKS UNDERWATER GRILL AND BAR. I don’t think I have been to Sea World in 40 years, so they are definitely getting a customer that does not normally dine there!
Reservations have to be made on Sea Worlds website. I Googled Sea World Magical Dining and got what I needed. When you make the reservations, it looks like you are buying tickets and paying but it is for $0.00. You pay the bill at the restaurant, $40 per meal. And know that Sea World is 100% CASHLESS so bring your debit or credit card, they won’t take cash.
Parking is not charged when you show them your reservation and there is no park entry fee. When you come to the gate, you also show your reservation, and they refer you to a specific gate where an escort takes your party directly to the restaurant. I don’t think we would have found it on our own. Wear comfy shoes as it is a pretty good walk! (Casual dining, no need to dress up!)
Our great friends Bob and Cathy joined us for dinner; our reservations were at 4pm. ( I think Magical Dining starts at 2:30 at Sea World but check to be sure!).
Once we were seated, our Server Ron greeted us and gave us the details of our choices. Ron provided us with great service; he was friendly and professional. And he also was fun!
The menu is 3 courses, appetizer, main and dessert for $40 each. The appetizer choices were Sundried Tomato Chicken Quesadilla, Cold Water Lobster Bisque or Caesar Salad. We all had Ceasar salad, which was fresh and crispy. Main course was supposed to be filet mignon, salmon or Chicken Quinoa Tabbouleh Bowl (which was probably good but if you know me at all you know that wasn’t going to be MY choice!) They were not able to offer the Filet Mignon, so they substituted a Wagyu beef slider with truffle fries which 3 of us had and it was delicious. Cathy had the salmon and said it was good but not a fan of the slaw that came with it.
Dessert choices were Chocolate Cake Confusion, White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake, Cannoli Cake or Chocolate Chip Cookie Platter. Bob had chocolate cake, Cathy cheesecake and John and I had the Cannoli Cake. All were very good and large portions. We were all so full we had a bite and took the rest home for later. Way too good to waste! The meals were a success, and it was a nice time.
The huge aquarium was full of fish and sharks, and these were not baby sharks. They were full sized, real deal sharks.
I have to say, I did enjoy the venue and the meal and the company!. It was something very different and we never would have gone here on our own. The Magical Dining Experience made it something we wanted to try. Then an added bonus, once we finished our meal, we were on our own in the park. We walked around a bit and looked in gift shops and called it a day. Our visit was on a Thursday, and the park was not crowded at all. If we wanted to enjoy more time, I’m sure the lines were minimal. If you are looking for something out of the ordinary, this would be something to try.
My week was busy with Monday morning line dancing and Monday evening I had dinner and games with friends. A girls night out and that is something outside MY comfort zone. I had a really nice time. Tuesday Jukebox Bingo, and I had real estate appointments this week which is always welcomed! It was busier than expected and only one night of the dreaded no sleep.
I had another dermatology appointment with NP Kim (from previous blog). And guess what? You guys are awesome. Kim told me she got 49 appointments from the blog post! That is just amazing and
I had another dermatology appointment with NP Kim (previous blog post) and guess what?! You guys are awesome! Kim said she got 49 appointments from y’all. That is just amazing; God is good. Word of mouth really does work and Kim says THANK YOU! This is why I want to keep it up. It does matter when we share our positive events and give kudos to the well deserving!
I hope you have all had a good week. No line dancing Monday because of Labor Day, I get to rest a bit! I’d rather show houses so give me a call if you are looking! And, as usual, share my post, give me ideas and feedback. I am open to try anything, so far! LOL
There is a group planning a cruise to Alaska in the spring. If anyone is interested, please let me know and I will put you on the PRELIMINARY list, no obligation at this point. If there is enough interest, we can get a group rate and better pricing. I am NOT the travel agent, just a go between to see if there is any interest. It will be with Princess Cruises, and no dates are set yet. So find yourself a Roommate / travel companion and lets go have a grand time. John and I went to Alaska several years ago and it is definitely a destination you can enjoy many times.
If I go again, I am going to take a whale watching tour every day until I see a whale breach! John said it happened, but I did not see it. How could I miss it? I think he was hallucinating! We have a group of four that have already committed so if you have dreamed of an Alaskan adventure, come along with friends and lets have a grand time.
We went to a Magical Dining experience this week with our friends Bob and Cathy at Dubsdread Country Club. They always have a nice menu, so we decided to go again. For those of you who don’t know, Central Florida offers Magical Dining each year at this time as a way to stimulate dining out and donate to charity. It’s very popular among foodies as you can dine at restaurants you would like to try for a fixed menu and price. We go to Dubs every year because we love it. Funny thing though is each restaurant has their own times for when it starts, and we didn’t think of that when we made the agreed upon reservation! So, we were too early and were not able to take advantage of the special menu. We did enjoy the regular menu, and it turned out to be a huge win anyway. Great meal with great friends. Reminder to check the starting times before you book. GOOGLE https://www.magicaldining.com/restaurants/?bounds=false&view=grid&sort=qualityScore&filter_michMenuPrices%5B0%5D=menuForty to find out what restaurants participate and what they are offering. We are trying another restaurant this Wednesday so stay tuned. This one should be really fun! (I forgot to take pictures at Dubs!)
There seems to be hope for an interest rate drop, fingers crossed! I pray it is enough to stimulate the market a bit! It’s not just central Florida suffering, it’s all over the country! I am ready for a busy fall and winter listing and selling houses. I was not meant for downtime; I need to be busy!
ALSO, I’m looking for Zellwood ladies who might want to be interviewed and featured in my blog, either alone or a group. Sort of an introduction to Ladies of Zellwood! It is all a work in progress, and we will learn as we go. If you want to participate and be my first victim let me know, I promise I will be gentle. It’s about our community and our lives; we all still have lots to share and accomplish and it is meant to be fun! Ladies of Zellwood, come on down. I know you have a lot to say. Let’s say it together.
Have a fabulous week. Monday 9:30 am is beginners line dancing. Come and join us!
Here I go again trying this video stuff, the only way I will get good at it is to keep trying. I am doing it a little different as I figure new things out. There are 4 or 5 videos this time, and I hope you like them. I am hoping to be able to learn to edit them together. Its all a process.
It’s also good for me to see the awful faces I make while I am talking. It does make me laugh so go ahead and join me.
So there you go. I am so happy you have visited my blog. I hope you will continue to give me feedback and ideas. And please share with your friends. I am not bored because I just keep moving forward. Sitting still is not an option!
Our home for 5 days was the Islander, Margaritaville at Sea Cruise Line. We left on Sunday and returned on Friday morning. A lot of our cruising friends asked us to give a true review of the ship and cruise itself. I think this was our 10th cruise, maybe more, and we have been on several different cruise lines, so I have lots to share about the cruise and ship and our adventure as well. If you know me at all you know I love to travel and I am up for just about anything. We had actually been to Key West and Cozumel in 2018 when we took advantage of Cuba being open to Americans. We were looking for a weekend get-away and did not consider the heat of August! Funny thing is when we went in 2018, we also went in August! I guess you really do forget the miserable parts and hold the good in your heart!
According to Wikipedia, The Islander is a renovated ship that Margaritaville purchased from Carnival. After renovation it reentered service in 2024. It has 1100 rooms and ours was a standard balcony. There was plenty of storage and the bathroom was more than adequate. Seasoned cruisers know that bathrooms can be extremely small, so this was a very good thing. We were quite comfortable in our room and would not hesitate to book it again. We do like the balcony and didn’t feel the need to upgrade to a larger room.
Everything about the ship is Margaritaville, from head to toe! it is fun and colorful, the staff is friendly, and I must say HAPPY. The ship was at full capacity, and we never felt cramped. Waiting for elevators, dining room seating, buffet seating etc. was never an issue. There are many small lounges with music, either canned or live, all over the ship, all the time. The main area, Flip Flop Lounge, was probably the most crowded and active and LOUD but it was easy to find a quiet spot elsewhere to veg and relax. We sort of expected a huge amount of very inebriated people but that was not the case. Yes, occasionally you’d run into it, but mostly it was just chill. There were no formal nights, a couple of themed nights (Boots and Bubbles was one with lots of cowboy boots and bling!) and a Caribbean theme night we didn’t even notice. There are gift shops, but not many, and everything was Margaritaville. None of the normal shops you find on most cruise ships. NO EFFY!
There were 3 pools, one was adult only, but it was just too hot. 95+ sun and heat were too much for our group. We mostly stayed in the buffet and people watched enjoyed the ocean views. and air conditioned! None of us came back sunburned! Our dermatologist would be very proud!
There was nothing fancy that we found, if you want a 5 Star experience this is not the cruise for you. If you want good food and relaxation, then this is it. They certainly know their market and they cater to it. Grilled hamburgers every day on the pool deck and they were good! Taco bar outside as well. Buffet had a good simple variety. Not the biggest I’ve ever seen but everything was good and hot. We actually preferred it to the main dining room which is a big switch for us. The coffee cups were a scream. Way too small and plastic. I don’t like drinking from plastic cups and glasses, and all the plates were also plastic.
And the last thing about the Buffet area, most everyone came in their bathing suits with little to no coverups. That was the norm. Apparently, shoes were optional as well. It wasn’t offensive (mostly) but it was different!
We had to do an old fashioned MUSTER! Honestly, I don’t think we have been on a ship where we had to line up since the 2nd cruise to Cuba! It was so hot and we had to line up! Did you hear me, LINE UP! And stand there until they did what the law requires, I get it. One lady fainted. It was SO MISERABLY HOT, All of us crammed in. I promised the good and the bad, so this was definitely not a good.
On to the adventure, our first port was Key West! John’s only request was to go to what I keep calling Mel Gibson’s Museum. For some reason I cannot get the name right! Hopefully not offending Mel Fisher and family! I am not a museum person so for me it was snooze city, but John and our companions really enjoyed it. There was a short video and then lots to look at.
This would be the last bench John would find to sit down for several hours.
We had already been to Truman’s White House and Hemmingway’s house (both highly recommended) on our last visit so didn’t need to go again. We decided to walk to the Southern Most Point. John and I stopped at a shop to get a soda and were told it was about a mile walk and lots of places to sit and rest. Stupid us believed that total lie! LOL.
This is to show you how we started out, because it gets much worse! Walking down Whitehead Street as instructed, and there was some shade but no place to sit. After a few blocks we thought maybe the Hop On Hop Off Bus might be a better idea. We passed John’s bank so went to the teller machine for some $$$ and there goes the bus past us so we continued to walk. All the buses were now going up the street instead of down the street, so we walked some more, still no place to sit and rest. I was fascinated with the Kapok tree.
It was shady so we liked it there. Kapok tree beautiful. and shady. No place to sit though. Did I say shady? We thought about sitting in someone’s front porch but decided against it. Now we are getting hot and frustrated and we are starting to bite each other.
Bayon Resort was beautiful. Look at these beautiful old trees. I would love to go back to Key West for a week and stay here. In the winter or spring maybe, when it is 70 degrees!
And a picture of the lighthouse, no we didn’t go into it. That required climbing stairs so a hard NO.
As we strolled down the street and sweated like crazy, I kept trying to do videos. This one I took sideways, I don’t know how but I could not edit it to the right angle, so you are treated to another one of my imperfections!
I don’t pay attention to what I am doing so I fall down a lot and John is trying to keep me focused. Silly man!
Kept waslking and finally got to the Southern Most Point, and of course there was a line, it wasn’t bad but John was having none of it.
If I was going to get a picture at all we would have to get to the side of the line and “share’ our picture with anyone nearby. It was ok, as you can see, we do not look our best! But at least I got the picture to prove we were there! And we were WAY too hot to care about looking good.
Walking back was no better than the walk up, all the busses were going in the opposite direction and no place to stop and rest. We plodded on and finally got to Hemmingway’s house. And there was a place to sit in shade, although we were not welcomed unless we paid admission. It was either sit or faint, so sit we did. When we were revived, I thanked the gate keeper for his kindness even though he was a jerk that was only doing his job.
On we went to Sloppy Joes! Good food, good fun and way too hot to enjoy much of it! Nice guy playing guitar and singing, I’d love to tell you his name, but I don’t know. We drank a LOT of water and sat under a fan and finally cooled down.
Our friend had a Sloppy Joe and said it was really good; John and I split a burger. And on to Kermit’s for their amazing Key Lime Pie! YUMMY, this is the place to get it.
YUM!
Back to the ship and the day is done. And in actuality I have no idea whether this sunset is from Key West of Tampa. But the day is still done!
Farwell to Key West and day 3 is a sea day. And we did nothing. We relaxed and ate and relaxed and went to the casino and lost money and relaxed some more.
Welcome to Cosumel! Day 4
We took a ship sponsored tour to the Mayan Ruins. It was a reasonably priced tour, an AIR CONDITIONED bus and a great tour guide. I will spare you ALL the pictures I took but it was an interesting and fun day, although again, very HOT. Lots of mesquitoes. Luckily while we were waiting for the tour to begin a sweet lady had a can of bug spray she offered and we sprayed ourselves down.
It’s hard to tell from the picture but the steps to climb up were very short (I guess they all had small feet!) and it was unsteady to climb up this thing. This was an alter for sacrifices to their gods. I got up and down without falling and was well pleased with that.
And that was an interesting tour. True to myself, I am not going to even try to explain any of this as I will get it all wrong. If you would like to know more about the ruins, I would suggest asking someone else! LOL. Google!
After the ruins, back on the bus and after a tour of the island and coast it was on to the Chocolate Factory. Cacao. We had been there before but it was just as interesting as the first time. Cacao, which is really bitter on its own, and the locals drank it with hot water. It was really yucky. Luckily the Eurpoean’s took it to Europe and added milk and made it wonderful! We had a fun demonstration of how it is mixed and flavors added to make it bearable.
After the demonstration there was a chocolate bar and apparently I was more interested in that than anything else because I didn’t take any other pictures! This was a drink bar, they had chocolate margheritas, chocolate martini’s and so on. I did sample a chocolate margherita and it was very good. I don’t think I’d ever want another one but I’m glad I indulged.
AND NO, I DID NOT DRINK 3! The gift shop offered samples of all their chocolate bars and many Mayan gifts. Very colorful and fun. I collect crosses so I got a cross and a napkin holder. My dishes are fiesta ware so the colorful items match well and will be used.
Back on the bus, and back to the ship. We were hot and sweaty and needed a shower and lots of water. If I didn’t mention it before, and even if I did, water was NOT part of the drink packages. I don’t know how I missed that in the early paperwork but if you wanted water you had to buy the bottles al la carte. That was not pleasing to me and I did voice a hard complaint on my survey. And one more negative thing while I am complaining, the WiFi sucked. There is no nice way to say it. We paid for it and it just didn’t work. This ship really had no technology at all. We did better with house phones to communicate between rooms and using our cell phones was miserable. If you MUST have your phone, it is a problem.
Day 5 was our last sea day and we pretty much repeated day 3. We relaxed and ate and relaxed and went to the casino to win a little bit this time. All in all I broke even so no complaints. I’m not a big gambler, I could be if I had money, but penny slots are as much as I am willing to loose. I did get 9 sevens and screamed like a little girl. I won $68.00. And of course, lost most of it back to the house. the casino is cash only, you cannot put a credit card or your room card into the machines. Cash only. You can go to the cashier and get $100 per day from your credit card. This is odd to me if you are a high roller, do you take cash with you? How does that work? Never mind, I don’t need to know!
We docked before 7AM in Tampa on Friday morning. Eveerything was smooth as could be for leaving and we had a pretty easy drive back to Orlando.
Would I take this cruise again? Yes. It is perfect for relaxation and a reasonably priced getaway. If you want all the fluff and fun shipboard, then no. The staff is great, food decent and you don’t have to dress up. If you want to find things to complain about, you will always find them. We had a ball!
AND BY THE WAY – THEY DO HAVE VERY NICE SPECIAL DISCOUNTS FOR ACTIVE-DUTY MILITARY AND FIRST RESPONDERS. ASK YOUR TRAVEL AGENT!
If we remember back to when we entered puberty, we received a lot of information about what our body was doing to us. I don’t know how other families handled these things, but my mother always said GO ASK YOUR FATHER. That was most uncomfortable for a 12- or 13-year-old girl. I didn’t want to talk to Dad about my “monthly visitor” or any other things of that nature. Dad was a teaser and was not a quiet talker so if he knew, EVERYONE knew. It was best to just not discuss it. So, that was how we grew up.
Dad used to run, long before it was fashionable. He was a referee for Jr High and High School basketball and football games, so he had to run to keep his stamina up. People would stop him and offer rides all the time thinking it was an emergency, he never wore sneakers, he wore his loafers to run. But if us girls needed “girly supplies” he would include the 7-11 on his route and come running up the road carrying our supplies, no bag needed. So humiliating! Those Weinar girls!
Consequently, I never learned to talk about girly things of any kind with any person at all, certainly not my parents, sisters or friends. Even talking to a doctor was too embarrassing, I always just pretended I knew what they were talking about.
This behavior really does still exist in me today, God love John, he has somehow learned to figure out what is going on when I don’t discuss things. He really does have a lot of patience!
As we age, of course our body changes again and all kinds of weird things start happening again. I don’t know about you people, but I don’t want to talk about that stuff either. Getting out of my comfort zone is what is best for me so talk about it I will. If you already know all this stuff you can pass on today’s reading, if you are shy and humiliated by all this stuff READ ON! Don’t be afraid, I am not going to talk about the most personal stuff, I’m going to talk about skin. There is plenty of time for other topics, I am not quite THAT daring yet!
I have always had oily skin, or HAVE I? Since Mom didn’t talk about this stuff, I don’t know if it was oily or it was oily because it needed moisturizer, and I never used it. I’m fairly sure Mom never used any girly stuff, she never wore make-up, as far as I remember, only lipstick. So she wouldn’t have been a good advisor. My older sister always had a beautiful complexion, but I never asked what she did. She didn’t share her make-up, so I was pretty sure she wasn’t going to share that info either. She is 5 years older than me, we shared a room all our lives, and that was all we shared. We didn’t touch each other’s stuff.
Consequently, at 69 and a half (LOL) my skin sucks. I have blotches, bumps, pores, red dots, and hair everywhere but where it should be. Since I don’t talk about this stuff, I do not know how to get rid of it. Or what is wrong with me that I keep getting more and more of it. I have bought machines that are supposed to do the trick, but they do not really do what they promise they will do. They sort of do stuff but not really. (I will not name brands since they don’t work for me, only if they DO work for me!)
Enter Dermatology. I have been going to various dermatologists for several years and they burn or freeze or cut off things I don’t want on my body whether I can see them or not. I was a fair-haired teenager, always sun burned, rarely tanned and I am absolutely paying for the sins of my youth. Although I’m really glad we didn’t know back then because we sure had lots of fun in the sun. All this skin cancer stuff has taken the fun out of beaches and pools in the summer.
In July when I went for my 6-month checkup, my new Dermatology provider is Kim Pham, FNP-BC. I have gone to the same office for quite some time and the specialist kept changing and the “feel” of the office was sort of down. When I went to the check-up everything was different. All the faces were new and the happy, which makes ME happy. When I go to a doctor and the office is glum I prefer not to go. I did all the preliminary check in stuff and was not in the waiting room very long at all. BONUS! When Kim gave me my skin exam I really felt like I mattered, it wasn’t routine to her, she asked me questions and cared. What a difference! She showed me where my skin had issues that could be fixed, not with a big expensive treatment but with a moisturizer that I could by at Walmart! Seriously! She ever taught me how to apply it with tap,tap,tap and not rubbing it in. And she did not try to up-sell me products I didn’t need. I felt very comfortable with her and then I began to ask her questions. What are these stupid bumps? What are these red dots? Why does hair sprout everywhere but where it should? And she was very professional with her answers, didn’t make me feel silly or stupid. And I trusted her! Amazing. Especially for me. Then I dove in and asked if she did any treatments for skin issues. And how much did they cost and what should I have?
I bought the lotions she told me to buy, sunscreen and moisturizer over the counter stuff and used them for 2 weeks. She promised I would see a difference before I went back to her and guess what?! I DID! A huge difference. I also did get a treatment for my skin that was very reasonable and is helping with my other issues. She called me to check on me, making sure I had no side effects from the treatment. Kim is the ultimate professional and genuinely wants to help us resolve our issues and feel better about ourselves too.
She has several different cosmetic treatment packages, depending on what you might want or need. What I needed might not be what you need. If you ever wondered, don’t be afraid to call and ASK her. I wanted soft skin and less fuzz; you may want Botox. All I can say is she will be fair and honest with you and make you feel very special. Kim office is in Apopka off Rock Springs Road.
And, by the way, she is a medical professional. This also made me feel much more comfortable. She wasn’t going to bleach my hair, cut my toenails and wax my lip. That was important to me too. I do not receive any kickbacks by writing this, I just am passing on my life experience, as usual, when I find something that matters to me. Men and women alike face these situations. It is so nice when you find someone that makes you feel comfortable and not silly! Kim is definitely that person for me!
Sunday was my dearest John’s birthday and we always celebrate with his favorite dinner. Not that I cook, but any restaurant that HE picks. And nice times out of ten he picks sushi. Euu! But it is his special day so to sushi we go.
Mt Dora has an excellent sushi place that is really a favorite of John’s so we went to Wave.
We went on Sunday after church, around 1:30 and it had a nice steady flow of customers but we did not have to wait for a table. Our friends that went with us had not been before so that made it extra fun.
John always get a dynamite roll and octapus sashimi, ALWAYS. (DOUBLE EUUU) and they do it just like he likes it.
Our friends got Texas Roll and Ramen bowl. Both looked really good too.
And then there is me. (remember this is my story!) I am not a fan of sushi but decided to be adventurous since I am always preaching that. All their food is so pretty and it sounds so good. I have had the raw tuna before and while I don’t love it, I kind of don’t hate it. So I decided to get the spicy tuna taco.
Apparently, I get my food groups mixed up or with old age my color vision is not that great. When I first saw the taco, I thought that pink/orange stuff was tomato. Work with me here! I knew the taco shell was seaweed tempura, and actually that was not a bad thing at all. So, I take a big bite only to discover that pink stuff was indeed the tuna. I thought the tuna would be inside like a regular taco and of course this is tomato, so my taste buds were going crazy with WHAT THE HECK! It was nice and crunchy like it should be, actually better and crunchier than a traditional corn tortilla shell. And with ALL that tuna it all overwhelmed me. I tried to push off a lot of the tuna so it wasn’t so overwhelming, but it was just too late. I was all done. I think I ate 2 or 3 bites and that was it. For those of you who love a tuna taco, this is the bomb. Lots of fresh spicy tuna and lots of crunch. For me, I should have stuck with my usual shrimp and rice.
This is the Link to the WAVE Mt Dora menu for those of you interested. So many choices and very beautiful presentations. Fresh food no matter what you choose. Our server was very friendly and helpful. Great place to try if you haven’t and great place to go back for more.
Thank youb WAVE for our Happy birthday to John, I’m going to Roadhouse on MY birthday!
This has been a week that didn’t have much on the calendar. Monday mornings I am trying to go to Line Dancing Class (for beginners). It starts at 9:30, which really doesn’t matter. There is no good time for exercise to start, you just have to go do it. Here in Florida, it’s too hot to do too much outside, thank goodness this is in the Community Center where we live, indoors and air conditioned! I am not a girl that perspires, I sweat like a dog when I exercise. And I know line dancing is FUN but its exercise, so it isn’t really fun. I also have trouble with left and right, always have so when the class is going left it isn’t unusual that I am going right. Or we make a turn, and I am seeing everyone’s faces instead of the wall I am supposed to be staring at! It’s been that way all my life. When I took my driver’s test for my first license I wrote and L and R on my hands so I would go in the correct direction when instructed. He passed me so I guess it was ok!
One morning this week we got up and there was a fire truck out front. In a 55+ Community, fire trucks are normal, usually followed by an ambulance. People call for many emergency and semi-emergency situations. A lot of time people fall and can’t get up by themselves etc. I’m looking out the window to see who’s house they are going to, always need to know who needs help in one way or another. I can’t see much though because there is a man messing with the fire hydrant out front blocking my view. I’m getting most aggravated and then it dawns on me … no ambulance, this guy is testing the fire hydrants What a doofus! I am less embarrassed about looking out the window than I am about not knowing it was a fireman checking the hydrant! (AND I didn’t get my camera out fast enough to grab the picture!)
Friday the ladies of Banbury Village had their monthly luncheon, and they asked me to join them. I went last month and had such a nice time I was happy to go again. Last month I asked them if I could join them; just because I don’t live in that village doesn’t mean I can’t be a part of it. My quest is to meet new people and socialize for no reason, so these luncheons are a great place to start. I have never been much for doing Girl stuff, which is so snotty of me. Truth is, I have always worked, and I never made the time for it. And I do not think I have a lot in common with a lot of people so that doesn’t help. I don’t have kids or grandkids, I work and have always worked, I don’t like to shop or do crafts … see what I mean? I’m a snot. Truth is, I don’t really know how to visit with no purpose. I always went to work lunches, family stuff, church-based focus groups etc. Never really met with a group of people just to visit. That is hard for me. Silly as it is, I am not the least bit shy, I can walk into any room and do just fine, but having no reason to be there, what’s the point?
NOW I KNOW. I relax! What the heck? I don’t have to be ON. I can just be, well, ME. I can participate in a conversation or just listen and learn. (and YES I can listen dadgummit!) These ladies have a lot to teach too. We are all going through different phases or our lives, learning how to maneuver through it all. For some this luncheon forces them to get out of the house and away from it all for a couple hours. Others are looking for friendship and still others need guidance or suggestions. There were singles and widows, people who just moved in or people who need to move out, but together we talked and shared and laughed, maybe a few wet eyes too. I totally enjoyed meeting new people and hopefully making new friends as well.
I think I have been bamboozled by the stereotype of Girl Time and have missed out on a lot of fun. I still don’t like to shop or do crafts BUT I think maybe it isn’t really about what we are doing as much as who we are doing it with? Laughing at wrong directions and trying new things. I have got to learn to say yes more and no less. To learn that I might not have enjoyed things in my 30s that today I will love, for very different reasons. And mostly everyone is searching for something. We may as well find it together!
Thanks Banbury Ladies for a lovely lunch! I hope I can come again, and I’d love to come to your village lunch too if you will have me!
This has been a week that didn’t have much on the calendar. Monday mornings I am trying to go to Line Dancing Class (for beginners). It starts at 9:30, which really doesn’t matter. There is no good time for exercise to start, you just have to go do it. Here in Florida, it’s too hot to do too much outside, thank goodness this is in the Community Center where we live, indoors and air conditioned! I am not a girl that perspires, I sweat like a dog when I exercise. And I know line dancing is FUN but its exercise, so it isn’t really fun. I also have trouble with left and right, always have so when the class is going left it isn’t unusual that I am going right. Or we make a turn, and I am seeing everyone’s faces instead of the wall I am supposed to be staring at! It’s been that way all my life. When I took my driver’s test for my first license I wrote and L and R on my hands so I would go in the correct direction when instructed. He passed me so I guess it was ok!
One morning this week we got up and there was a fire truck out front. In a 55+ Community, fire trucks are normal, usually followed by an ambulance. People call for many emergency and semi-emergency situations. A lot of time people fall and can’t get up by themselves etc. I’m looking out the window to see who’s house they are going to, always need to know who needs help in one way or another. I can’t see much though because there is a man messing with the fire hydrant out front blocking my view. I’m getting most aggravated and then it dawns on me … no ambulance, this guy is testing the fire hydrants What a doofus! I am less embarrassed about looking out the window than I am about not knowing it was a fireman checking the hydrant! (AND I didn’t get my camera out fast enough to grab the picture!)
Friday the ladies of Banbury Village had their monthly luncheon, and they asked me to join them. I went last month and had such a nice time I was happy to go again. Last month I asked them if I could join them; just because I don’t live in that village doesn’t mean I can’t be a part of it. My quest is to meet new people and socialize for no reason, so these luncheons are a great place to start. I have never been much for doing Girl stuff, which is so snotty of me. Truth is, I have always worked, and I never made the time for it. And I do not think I have a lot in common with a lot of people so that doesn’t help. I don’t have kids or grandkids, I work and have always worked, I don’t like to shop or do crafts … see what I mean? I’m a snot. Truth is, I don’t really know how to visit with no purpose. I always went to work lunches, family stuff, church-based focus groups etc. Never really met with a group of people just to visit. That is hard for me. Silly as it is, I am not the least bit shy, I can walk into any room and do just fine, but having no reason to be there, what’s the point?
NOW I KNOW. I relax! What the heck? I don’t have to be ON. I can just be, well, ME. I can participate in a conversation or just listen and learn. (and YES I can listen dadgummit!) These ladies have a lot to teach too. We are all going through different phases or our lives, learning how to maneuver through it all. For some this luncheon forces them to get out of the house and away from it all for a couple hours. Others are looking for friendship and still others need guidance or suggestions. There were singles and widows, people who just moved in or people who need to move out, but together we talked and shared and laughed, maybe a few wet eyes too. I totally enjoyed meeting new people and hopefully making new friends as well.
I think I have been bamboozled by the stereotype of Girl Time and have missed out on a lot of fun. I still don’t like to shop or do crafts BUT I think maybe it isn’t really about what we are doing as much as who we are doing it with? Laughing at wrong directions and trying new things. I have got to learn to say yes more and no less. To learn that I might not have enjoyed things in my 30s that today I will love, for very different reasons. And mostly everyone is searching for something. We may as well find it together!
Thanks Banbury Ladies for a lovely lunch! I hope I can come again, and I’d love to come to your village lunch too if you will have me!
FAIR QUESTION! I probably should have had this be the FIRST blog I wrote but hindsight is 20/20 right?
This is me! not gussied up, no or little make up anyway, I think I have mascara on but that is all. If I am going to be real, you may as well see the good the bad and the ugly!
I used to write a blog years ago and life got too busy, and I think maybe I didn’t have much more to say so I stopped. I enjoyed it, sharing my thoughts “out loud” with others. I’m really not that complicated, I’m pretty predictable. I had developed a decent following and had good feedback from readers on the different posts I would write about, it was fun for me. Now it is 11-12 years later maybe, and my life is so different, we moved from Orlando to a 55+ community in Zellwood which I love. I retired from my full-time job of 28 years and am now a realtor, because I like to work and be with people.
People write blogs for lots of reasons, for me it is sort of a creative effort. I am not handy; I don’t do crafts because I have no talent for it. I admire other people’s work, but I am hopeless. When I write I enjoy the entire process. I try not to get into topics that are political or upsetting to others, I like to keep it positive and fun. I love feedback and ideas for future posts. I welcome that. And its ok if you tell me I am wrong; that is part of the process. I won’t try to change your opinion either! You can hit the subscribe button at the bottom and then you will automatically get my posts when I do a new one.
A lot of professionals use blogging as a way of marketing, and it is a great tool to do that. Most of them subscribe to a service within their industry so they can send relevant info on their markets. that way, they stay in touch with their clients on a weekly/monthly basis. Since I actually like to write my little, short stories, I am trying to accomplish the goal of my hobby, writing, and marketing at the same time. I prefer to write my stories about my life so people can get to know me instead of industry markets that change constantly. Also, most of my Real Estate Sales are in a niche market that only pertains to those people. So, it is wonderful for me to write about my community where I live and not real estate in general.
If I have learned anything these past few years, as people retire the adjustment is a journey. Some people embrace it and have a list of things they want to do and have a ball. Others flop around like a fish out of water trying to find their way. Having a passion or hobby helps; or at least a desire to find one. My personal experience is work. I don’t know how to not work. I have not found a “real” hobby like golf or pickleball that I love and must do. As I said, I’m not a crafter, I don’t cook and it’s FLORIDA, so a beautiful garden is not in my cards! It’s just too hot. I do like to walk, but once I do that in the morning I’m done for the day and there are still 16 hours to find something to do.
Our 55+ Community has tons of activities from classes to card games to golf. In writing this blog, I hope to try a lot of them to at least be doing stuff. I don’t expect to like them all, but I do hope to find a few I can enjoy that I didn’t expect to! Wouldn’t that be cool? And I also hope to make a few new friends along the way. I have it easier than some because I am not the least bit shy. I can walk into a room and just go, and I realize that is a gift. And I love hugs so feel free to hug me! And one more thing, I am not afraid to fail. I will try something I am pretty sure I won’t be good at, just for the experience. So, those of you that live on the golf course, watch out, I may be out there, my friend Fran does crafts, I will TRY once, I did pickleball a long time ago, I will try it again. Maybe I can be the MIKE ROWE of our 55+ Community! haha. If you are in charge of an event and want me to participate and write about it, let me know. I can’t promise I will say yes but I can promise I will listen and consider it.
Selling Real Estate is a great outlet for me because I love it. It is like a big puzzle to me, listening to what a buyer wants in their new home and then trying to match it up with what is available for sale or what I know might be coming up. When you find the perfect storm, and you see it in their eyes, THAT is the best feeling ever. Listing a home and presenting an offer that makes a seller happy, pure joy for me. I want to do a good job, I want to be someone people trust. Some of you will roll your eyes at me, and that is ok, but I KNOW that I do not do this all by myself. God uses me to fulfill His will, and I just go along for the ride. And this has been an amazing ride. I have been with my broker, Keller Williams for 7 years July 1, 2025. In those 7 years, I just found out I have closed 279 homes. (buyer or seller side), This is staggering to me, I never keep count, so I never know. I don’t compare myself to others because if I am working for God, none of the sales competition stuff matters. I just go where I am called and do what I feel is what I am being asked to do and let the rest fall where it may. So yes, I am very blessed. This little community where I live and work blesses me every single day and I do my best to bless it back!
Needless to say, I have times when I am super busy, and times when I have nothing to do. I find that I need to be social, to be with people. I gravitate to activities that are social and when I come home, I enjoy the peace that is home. I am learning more about this community as I go to activities I haven’t tried before, which also gives me ideas that help my sales experiences. It’s impossible for me to separate the two because I am either ALL IN or ALL OUT. I’m learning to not automatically turn my nose up at something. I had a dear friend once that told me to go to a movie alone, which I was not about to do. When I said I wouldn’t like that she asked if I had ever done it. hmmm no. So, she made me do it. and you know what? I love it. I’d rather go alone. Until I try an activity, I need to remember just because I don’t think I will like it, doesn’t mean I won’t. I didn’t like pea soup either, until I tried it. (but NEVER mushrooms!)
MY HOME
And this is my happy spot, my patio. I do like succulents and they seem to like me back!
I do enjoy sitting on the patio in the evening and listening to the birds and enjoying the quiet time. Golf carts traveling up and down the road, waving hello! Sharing a smile. Our little slice of heaven. Thank you God.
MY LIFE IN A 55 PLUS is a blog about, well me, and my life! I may be 55+++++++ but I still have lots of dreams and living to do. I live in a community in Zellwood Florida, outside Orlando, it is a 55+ community which means you must be 55 years old to live here. We are a manufactured home community, on over 800 acres. There are tons of amenities including an 18-hole golf course, our own on-site Whistle Stop Restaurant, tennis, pickleball and more activities than you can keep up with. I hope to feature many of these as I go forward so everyone can see life moves forward with or without us. I prefer to hang with the “with us” rather than the “without us” but I will also drag you along!
In case you didn’t guess, I love to write stories, as well as travel, dance, walk, talk (LOL), eat good food, meet new friends. I am a later in life Realtor, which turned out to be a bigger passion than I expected. I genuinely care about people, and I love the LORD with all my heart. No, I won’t preach to you, and yes, I accept you where you are and as you are. I try to be kind to everyone and fail too.
My husband of 22 years and I moved to Zellwood 2/7/2012 and we never looked back. We had a big home and a big mortgage and were never going to “own our home”. When we found this community, I had to un-snob myself and let go of the manufactured home mentality and allow the good things to flow through. Our community is clean and beautiful, lots of green space and nature. Homes are not crammed together, there is no “zero lot lines”. We were already paying a large mortgage, so we took that money and bought our home We buckled down and in no time, we were debt free and able to live our life instead of paying bills.
John retired and I still worked, and as it was getting closer to my retirement years, I went to real estate school and got my license. As I built my business, I was able to retire from my job for 28 years and put my efforts into full time real estate, which I loved. Again, moved forward and never looked back!
Can’t believe we have been here 12 years and can’t believe how much our life has changed. We never could have imagined this life, and yet, here we are! We have travelled all over the world with more trips being considered. We have friends that we care about, a beautiful home, good health and happiness!
My hope is to share my life with those interested and see where we go. I have a lot of stuff rumbling through my brain and sharing it helps get it out of there! I look forward to genuine feedback and ideas for future writing!
MY LIFE IN A 55 PLUS 