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!
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!
For Better or worse, richer or poorer, sickness and health…. but what about RETIREMENT??????
Those vows did not include being together 24/7, every single day! Did they?
My friend asked me to write about this topic (yes you CAN request topics, and I will do my best). I have been thinking about this because it is for sure a concern. A lot of my friends are single so their issues are very different, and I’m sure many of them would want our problems. The grass always looks greener on the other side. Experts (I don’t know who those experts are) say if we all dumped our problems out to view, most of us would keep our own. Probably because they are familiar and we have already been dealing with them.
So, what does this 24/7 look like? It definitely varies between men and women. I did not realize that my dear husband, John, would LOVE watching old movies on The Grit Channel; and yell at me to come look! When I run in there, from whatever I am doing, he asks “who is that actor, actress”. AKKKK!! John said he didn’t realize I would become so bossy! Really? Me? I can’t imagine! These are things that are annoying and funny at the same time. If you want to stay sane you have to find a way to allow them to be funny. And yes, I guess I am more bossy because I see what he is doing; when I was working outside the home, he was here alone. If I asked what he did today he’d say nothing. True enough.
John also talked about making decisions. When we were both working full time, we didn’t really care about decisions so much, we just made them, and we moved on. Now we have to discuss everything, probably because we have to talk about something! Like, do we want another dog? What kind of dog? Who will train, walk, feed the dog? This one has been going on in our house for months. No dog has appeared, although day to day the decision changes. Vacations? Do we or don’t we? Cruise, drive, fly? Where? What do we do when we get there? AND the ever important where do we go to lunch/dinner? What are YOU hungry for? It takes forever to agree on this important almost daily decision.
Life is full of new decisions that we both have very different ideas. John is more conservative than I am, and I get bored easy. I need to stay busy, if not, i get itchy and need to do something.
Of course, we ALL love retirement and our significant others. It should go unsaid but sometimes it doesn’t come across that way. We had a friend that complained constantly about her husband. My John used to tell her all the time to get divorced and then she would be highly offended. But John would tell her if he was that awful maybe it needed to be considered. The answer was always, I love him, but he drives me nuts!
I asked random people what their thoughts were on all this, I originally intended to post the responses by men and women categories, but it seems to be more interesting this way.
The husband of the first couple I talked with said he was surprised at how often his wife shopped; it seemed like she was always running to the store for one thing or another. The wife said he was always asking what’s for breakfast, what’s for lunch? Even though she says he can make it himself, there still has to be something in the house to cook. Right? After retirement, he started a small business that keeps him busy. She encourages him to call friends to work with him so that he has help and interaction with others.
Several women mentioned that when they retired, they lost one boss and gained a new one. Apparently, our spouses have known all along how to cook, do laundry and clean the house. And they are quite willing to give extra tips on how to do it more efficiently. The good news is since they have so much experience, they are now helping with the chores. Great solution ladies! Other women said they were not prepared to answer the questions of a two-year-old, fend off the octopus arms of a seventeen-year-old and watch a geriatric old man snore in his chair the rest of the day when there are only two of us in the house. One says I also wasn’t expecting to have him kiss every time I get up or walk in the room and listen to Honey! I love you every fifteen minutes for the rest of my life. Don’t forget the ever asked “where did you put ???” Of course, this is only in jest but until we learn to adjust to the 24/7 it can be irritating.
At the other end of the spectrum is when our next couple “retired” they decided to work together in their own business, and he says he has a different and higher level of respect for his wife now. He is especially proud of all she has learned and can do since they started working together. This is physical labor, and she kills it!
I think the single people responses were what I expected. One lady missed companionship, not having to make all the decisions on her own. Cuddling, laughing at private jokes and someone who can fix most anything. She had a gem! And yes, sex. Even at 55+, we still got it! (from ages 55 to 80, several people said sex by the way!) We are alone, not dead! Another friend said she missed someone to discuss the day’s events, it’s really quiet after work she says. And yet another said she misses nothing! After her husband died, she was lost for a while. But has now found a way to love living on her own. She is free to do what she wants, when she wants and not be accountable to anyone or anything. Bravo!
Learning to maneuver this retirement stuff can be challenging. If you are a routine person, it’s hard to find a new routine when you can do whatever you want. And it is also easy to get stuck in a routine that needs more variety. John and I get into that trap, and we have to fight our way out of it. There is nothing wrong with it if it works for you. For me, I need to be doing something!
I do find it interesting how many people end up going back to work, either full or part time. It isn’t always a financial reason, it is a boredom reason. I personally planned my retirement around me being a part time realtor. It has ended up being full time but I feel much more fulfilled when I am working than when I am not. I have several friends that are the same. The extra money is nice but not the driving force.
I’d like to tell you I have all the answers, but I do not. Since I live in a 55+ community I see the success stories and I see the sad stories. People who appear to be thriving are usually very active, social, committed to a cause or charity. I have also found that there are a lot of people who are not comfortable going to an activity alone, they need someone to accompany them. It’s tough to walk into a room of strangers alone. If you know your neighbor a little bit, ask them to lunch, or bingo, or book club, or bible study. You don’t have to do it every week, just get them started!
I also hear “it’s all so clicky”. Yes, it can be, but I think that is an excuse. I have a lot of acquaintances, some friends and a few very good friends. But I am friendly with most everyone. Ok, granted it comes natural to me. Meeting new people doesn’t mean they will be your besties, but you never know. When you are participating in an activity that you enjoy with others that enjoy it too, you are starting out with a common thread that can grow.
So GET OUT THERE! Call someone, talk to your neighbor. Take a chance. I always ask, “what is the worst thing that can happen?” If you can live with that, then go do it. I get my feelings hurt, I get mad, I feel stupid, I fall down (literally and figurative) and it can be humiliating but I get back up. Change your mindset. I like to sing karaoke, I am not great, I am OK. But if someone thinks they can do it because I did it, I am happy. I’m not looking to be a rock star; I just want to have fun. I don’t want to miss a moment!
WAY BACK in October 2023, we went on a cruise to the Mediterranean; we flew to Athens, spent a couple days there and then got on the cruise ship and went to Istanbul, Mykonos, Naples, Florence, Rome, Caan, and Barcelona. It was a wonderful trip, highly recommended! As I write my blogs, I will probably be referencing our travels and experiences as they are a part of my life. Which is kind of the entire point of the blog right? And I can already see that food is going to be a big part of the blog as well, not because of my cooking (God Forbid!) but the lovely people I meet along this journey!
This trip was planned well in advance and then the Isreal / Hammas war started October 7, 2023; we were due to leave a couple weeks later. Do we stay or do we go? Cruise line, airline, governments etc didn’t cancel so we didn’t either. We probably had a heightened awareness of our surroundings but otherwise everything was fine.
Until Istanbul. in order to KNOW ME, I have a really vivid imagination, and it doesn’t take much to get my brain going. The cruise ship gives an informational talk on each port the day before, so we all know what to expect and one of the things they said was ” if you see a big crowd developing, go AWAY from it” so of course that got me started. Big chicken, foreign country… cluck cluck cluck!
We did not have a tour scheduled as we initially docked at 4pm and would be there a 2nd day so we had decided we could be on our own and go to the world market. That would be plenty for day one. They assured us we could take public transportation with no problem. However, because of the war, the cruise ships going to Israel were diverted to Turkey; and instead of getting 3 ships, 5 arrived. An additional 10,000+ people all in port at the same time. Add to that, locals said it was the first beautiful clear day Istanbul had been given in a week. There were people EVERYWHERE in a city of 15 MILLION PLUS people. Avoid crowds, impossible! Our phones didn’t work, public transportation was very kind to take our credit card money and not share a ticket back, tick tick tick goes my mind! We decided to walk, because we were told it wasn’t that far; so “in for a penny, in for a pound” we will die here anyway! There were 6 of us walking and walking and no market in sight. And the more we walked; I relaxed a bit. There were people everywhere, but the city was interesting. It was also intimidating. None of us knew where we were going, except THAT WAY. Not much further… I think we walked 200 miles (LOL not really about 5!) and finally found a very nice man who spoke English and could actually help us. We were not going to make it to the market before it closed so we decided to go back to the port. In hindsight we should have found a place to eat and then gone back to the port but that did not seem to be an option at the time. This kind man helped us get 2 taxi’s and back to the port we went.
I must observe, after the fact, that us American’s are so stupid and trusting. We go to a foreign country, where we don’t speak the language, know little to nothing about the cultures and trust that these total strangers are actually going to help us. And you know what, they do! It’s just amazing. (By the way, maybe that is just ME that is so stupid and trusting! Other people might actually research places before they go).
Back to the story, day 2 we have a tour guide! YAY and we see this wonderful city of Istanbul and the Mosques and find out this is where “Cherry Races” were held. (It was Chariot Races, but I am a bit hearing impaired and I don’t necessarily hear things right. When things don’t make sense and I ask, I gain an entirely new understanding!)
The first picture is the bridge we went over, the 2nd I think is Hagai Sophia but I could be wrong and the third is the Blue Mosque. Do not ever allow me to be your official travel guide. I never know where I am going or where I have been!
On to the MARKET we go.
It was fascinating and CROWDED and overwhelming. This was, by the way, the SPICE MARKET. I believe the smaller market. We passed through the big one and that was HUGE and packed!
Saffron is where my story continues. Most people know Saffron is the most expensive spice and it is “reasonable” here in Turkey. So, I bought a lot. My brother loves to cook so I got a jar for him and a jar for me. I bought nuts and candy and other spices so I could not begin to tell you how much it all cost. It is like play money to me. And to tell you the truth, I have no idea why I bought it. I do not cook. But it was there and I had to have it.
Bye bye Istanbul, it was fascinating and scary and a nice adventure. and no, I didn’t die there!
Fast forward to 2025! I still have the unopened jar of Saffron, and it is obvious that I am never going to use it. I don’t know how long it lasts but I certainly do not want it to go to waste, I want someone to have it that appreciates what it is and will actually use it and enjoy it.
My friend Lori is known to be a wonderful cook. I see Facebook posts of people who join her for dinner and rave about her cooking and dinner parties. She is a super friendly person with many talents, and we all know Facebook doesn’t lie right! I talk with Lori and ask if she cooks with Saffron and she assures me she does, so I decide to give her my beloved saffron from ISTANBUL. My only request is that she make a dish using it and share it with John and I so that I can at least learn what it tastes like. (I didn’t want a dinner party, just bring me leftovers, I’m good with that!) Lori agrees. She is a very busy lady and I knew she would keep her word and did she ever! She called to see our likes and dislikes and made arrangements to cook our dinner for Wednesday.
I have to tell you I was so excited, not only that I didn’t have to do dinner, but that Lori was! I anticipate things and blow them way up, so it is not easy to meet my expectations. All day I dreamed and savored what might be coming. I knew it was a chicken dish, otherwise, saffron.
One other side note, when we were in Barcelona, I ordered paella, which has saffron. Only it has octopus too. Euuuu. I took a big bite of what I thought was chicken, and it was octopus, which grossed me out and I spit it back in the plate (literally, I did that) and the meal was over for me. I could only tell you saffron tasted like octopus!
And now the big finish!
Here comes Lori with her beautiful casserole of chicken and yellow rice that she prepared, and I am so happy and excited. It smelled so good and looked amazing.
Lori is so gracious and kind, and I think genuinely excited to share her cooking skills. She featured the saffron in the rice so we could really get the flavor out of it. As soon as I tasted it, I recognized the flavor, but not as pronounced as this, in a good way. More than likely, restaurants don’t use much because of the expense of the spice. This was wonderful, and I am unable to compare it to anything I had ever had before. (And it didn’t taste like octopus! LOL) The chicken has green and red pepper, tomatoes I think, and beautiful tender chicken thighs. Red pepper flakes gave it a nice kick but not too much. It was perfect. I do not know what Lori did to prepare the rice, but it was so tender and delicate and YUMMY! I am not a culinary person, so Identifying flavors is not really something I do, but I tried really hard to focus, and Lori told me what was in it. LOL.
John, my hubby, is not as picky as I am but close, and he loved it too.
and YES! Lori was so very kind to write down her recipe for us so any of you who want to enjoy this treat can make it yourself!
In order to make new friends or build on the friendships you have, sometimes you have to take risks. It helps to be kind and unselfish as well. I was never going to use that Saffron so why not share it with someone who would truly enjoy it? And why not ask for a sample of her cooking expertise? The worst Lori could say was no and the best she could say was yes! Which she did. The kindness I knew of her rang through in her smile and her cooking. And I think I increased a friendship that I might not have ever had. I am so grateful that Lori allowed me to share her talents in my blog. If she ever invites you to a meal say YES!!! You won’t be disappointed!
Today is the day that I make Polish Dill Pickle Soup. I have seen the recipe on Facebook for a while now and since I am of Polish Heritage, I like to occasionally try some of the foods that are of that tradition. I am not a cook really, but I do like making soups, so this seemed right up my alley! And of course, looking for the right recipe is always a challenge.
God always seems to answer my call, and He sent me my friend Bobbie. I never knew it, but Bobbie and her husband Roy owned a Polish restaurant and deli up north and Dill Pickle Soup was one of their daily featured items and she said they sold out every day! What better recipe could I ask for?!! She was gracious enough to share the recipe with me so that I could give it a try.
I am always intimidated by cooking and recipes. I don’t usually understand, or I make it more complicated than it needs to be. Like when the recipe says to use a heavy pot, do I weigh my pots and use the heaviest one? Cut into small pieces, small to who (or whom), how big is small? Bite sized, who’s bite?? I’m not quite that bad but I am literal, and these things confuse me.
Alexa and I have become great friends as well. I have Alexa in the kitchen with a monitor so I can ask what to do and it shows me a video. I do this MANY times as I am making stuff so that I remember or clarify. (no, I don’t worry about the government listing to my conversations, my friends don’t want to hear what I have to say so I doubt the government would be interested either!)
I have spent the last few days reading and re-reading the recipe, googling stuff I didn’t understand, asking Bobbie questions. More than anything, I want Bobbie to be happy with the results AND I also want her to be honest with me if I don’t get it right. I already know I won’t on the first try, BUT if I come close and it brings a smile to her face I am beyond happy.
Next order of business is grocery shopping. I don’t store much in my kitchen since I don’t cook much, and you can bet I don’t have the proper ingredients. Recipe calls for course ground black pepper, I don’t have course, is that a problem? One small onion, how small is small? Red skin potatoes, yes, I know what those are! YAY me! One quart of pickle juice! OhOh, do they actually sell pickle juice? Alexa!!!!! Yes, they do, but not all grocery stores do. Publix does, Winn Dixie, nope.
My shopping list is made and off to the store I go. This went very well actually, so I am very proud of myself. I didn’t have to ask any unsuspecting person who LOOKS like they know how to cook any questions at all. I did have to buy garlic dill pickles, says I needed 3, I wasn’t sure if that was spears or entire pickles so I bought a big jar and will figure that part out later. Now that I am home that was enough thinking for one day. I’m exhausted by it all. This cooking stuff is a LOT.
So today is the day! I got up ready to tackle the soup and I got this! I can do it. I have a chopper that cuts the vegetables very easy, and I do know they are supposed to be uniform n size so they cook evenly. I do watch Food Network!
This gizmo is quick and easy to use and preserves my fingers and fingernails, (side note, as it turns out, the pieces were too big, which didn’t affect the flavor, just bite and appearance. I will have to hand chop next time.) Following the instructions, it all goes into the pot and the simmering begins.
AND OH MY GOODNESS, my kitchen smells amazing. The garlic and the dill and vinegar, onions, wow. Since I don’t cook much, this is exciting. Don’t you just love the way your kitchen smells when it is not burning?
Now comes the tricky part, a roux. I have unsuccessfully made roux and this time I am determined! So Alexa is my very best friend. I am using videos to make sure I don’t mess up and burn it as I usually do. You stir constantly and stir some more! But Look!
I have a roux! It still has to darken a bit but it thickened up like I have never had happen before! I’m so proud! LOL! Roux is done and added to the pot and stir, stir, and stir.
The soup is finished.
I have to call Bobbie to have her look and taste, I want to make sure it is right before I share this with others and misrepresent an entire country! So this is where I find out the vegetables are cut too large and there is too much pickle juice. Sigh. But she says it is good and, for me, it is a successful first attempt. I go home and add some chicken broth to tone down the pickle flavor, which should be a tiny hint, not a blast. And then I put the soup in my food processor and slightly pulse to make it less chunky and that changed everything. It is delicious. The pickle flavor doesn’t assault you, it’s a small “afterburn” in your throat, not offensive or hot, just there.
When I do projects like this, the biggest part of my joy is sharing with others. I’m sure some of my friends cry when they see me coming with a container! But I do think they understand I like to experiment, and I don’t necessarily go traditional. I mean, anyone can make Oatmeal cookies. There is no challenge in that. My friends know I want honesty, if it sucks it won’t hurt my feelings to say so. I already know it won’t be everyone’s favorite! But it is the experience, not necessarily the outcome. I mean, how many people can say they ate Dill Pickle Soup? (Another side note, I am about the pickiest eater there is and I probably wouldn’t have tried it either. I mean, we were in Ireland, and I did not, would not, eat Haggis. And I will not TOUCH a mushroom).
After Bobbie’s critique and my adjustments, my first taste tester was Cathy, she is a fantastic cook, a fair reviewer and a good friend. She had a taste before the food processor and after and liked the after better, although not a real fan. Her question, which was great, was “would I make it again?”. The answer is no and yes. Would I make it for dinner or company, a meal, probably not. BUT would I make it for a Potluck where these types of dishes are encouraged, absolutely! I’m thinking it would be a big hit at a Super Bowl Party!
My next tasters were Jon and Brenda; they are great at tasting my experiments and giving critiques. Neither of them loved it but both agreed it was interesting. They both also agreed that the afterburn was unexpected! I always tell them to be honest, and they both are the best at being kind and honest at the same time. I will have to make Jon some oatmeal cookies to make up for this experiment!
I did share samples with a few others and have not heard back so I am thinking when you can’t say something nice, say nothing at all! Haha.
I consider my Dill Pickle Soup Day a huge success. I made something eatable and different. I shared with others, and I had fun.
MY LIFE IN A 55 PLUS 