Remember When?

New Years resolutions-"stop stressing over what you cannot change" thats the only one I'm making!!
I have all but given up on the verizon mess-its no longer worth my time or energy. But I still wish there was an office where I could go and get in someones face.
 Why is there no true customer service in today's world. Remember the days when the grocery store would deliver your phoned in grocery order-and get it all right? And when the milkman delivered your milk-then collected from you once a month? You went to the bank and actually didn't need an appointment to open a bank account and the teller would update your bank book-by hand? You could call any company you wanted and a real person answered the phone? And the customer was 'always' right. Even when they were wrong.
 I often reflect on the past and the remember whens. Kids played outside all day, we skated, and went sliding in the winter, drove our bikes and jumped rope and swam in any big puddle or stream we could find, in the summer...the only thing on the TV in the daytime was the test pattern. There was nothing computerized in our house-the fact that the toilet had a handle and flushed when you pushed it was amazing. Heck the fact that the bathroom was even in the house was progress. The closest thing to technology back then was the 'transistor' radio that you got free at the gas station with your stamps book. Some days I would just love to go back to the simplicity of the old  gone by days. I honestly don't remember any murders in our home town and I sure don't remember guns in our house. It was safe to walk from one end of town to the other at night with your friends. There was one phone in the house and it was connected permanently to the wall. Christmas was the most exciting event of the year. We just waited in anticipation for the wooly barley toys that were in our socks. By the time you picked all the wool off of it you nearly didn't have the energy to eat the darn thing. Then there was always a big handful of loose nuts (and we never had a nut cracker) which you had to smash with dads hammer. Remember when 2.00 worth of gas in your dad's car would drive you around for a whole weekend? Ahh the good 'old' days. Not to say that the days of today aren't good days. They are but just in a different way. Now, I couldn't live without technology..it is what keeps us in touch with our kids and family while we travel-and its much easier to camp in our motorhome than it was in Mom and Dad's volkswagen. I love to reflect! Ok time to get myself back to the present.
Last week we headed down to Ft Myers with friends for some after Christmas shopping and met up with my gorgeous cousin and her darling kids who were in the area for Christmas at her inlaws... it was great to see them and we got our 'kid' fix for the day. We went to lunch and enjoyed a great visit.

Beautiful babies and mama

Rick helped our neighbour plant a tree on her lot in memory of her late husband, and we planted some flowers on our lot. (He tends to look for 'outside' distraction when I'm on the phone ranting with verizon-smart man). 

The Landscapers

Some folks in the resort drove back home for the holidays. Our friends Cheryl and Cal were due to return today, so where it was a cooler day I popped on a big boiled jigs dinner, whipped up some biscuits and had it ready when they returned. Who wants to cook after driving for 3 days. Our neighbour Debbie joined us and she provided a scrumptious home made pecan pie. Welcome home Cheryl and Cal! 

Whats cooking?

He actually caught me without the apron on

wonderful dinner companions

surprised you didn't I

Its a chilly evening again at 49 F..but to me thats just nice sleeping weather. As long as the days are warm I can handle the cool nights. 
Tomorrow is the last day of 2012. It has been a good year for us, and we are thankful for all that we have and all we can do. Our neighbour Debbie is graciously sharing her wifi with us ..she has a land line and dsl. Bless her heart! Maybe someday I will get this verizon mess straightened out! Have a wonderful and safe New Years Eve. We are attending a dance right here at the resort which should be a grand time. I see Karen and Steve moved and are currently getting plastered-I just may opt for some plastering myself tomorrow night. Rick will probably hide my cell phone as I tend to want to talk to everyone after the plastering!! 

To all our friends and family all the very best of the very best for Health and Happiness in 2013.


Thanks for stopping by,
Elaine
Rick Tucker and Lilly

We are fine,!

We are fine..for those of you wondering..I am so sorry for scaring you all..I didn't realize the blog title would stay up when I deleted the blog I had Put up last evening I was having a major meltdown with Verizon and we are having major Internet issues due to Verizon and we will update you as soon as we get it resolved. Actually it wasn't just a meltdown it was a major tantrum on my part. It just irks me beyond to be paying for a service and not receiving said service. Be safe out there folks and in the future I will choose my title more wisely....take care and Ty all for your concern
Elaine and Rick

Christmas Day 2012-What a Wonderful Day!!

I will admit right here -right now - I was pretty nervous to see Christmas day arrive. Why you should ask? This was to be, our first Christmas away from our family. How would I survive without the grands and the kids. Our house was usually swarming on Christmas eve and Christmas day and yes on Boxing day also. I would be running around like a chicken with my head cut off making sure everything was perfect for everyone. Isn't that 'mama's' job? How would the kids survive without us? 
Well we survived and had the best christmas we could have ever hoped for..and guess what?-all the family survived without us! Isn't that wonderful.
I chuckled when I saw this posting on our daughters-Facebook status...all my hard work wasn't in vain.

I now know why when I was a kid my mom always looked so frazzled & tired at Christmas. Moms (& dads sometimes too) do all the work and the fat guy gets the credit!!
Served supper for 9 tonight - ham, turkey, gravy, 3 kinds of stuffing, carrots, squash, turnip, 2 pumpkin pies and a cheese cake. I'm tired! Off to put my feet u and ignore my destroyed kitchen.

On another note - thanks mom (and dad) for all my wonderful Christmas memories as a kid, I know now what it takes since having my own kids. Xo's...

Christmas eve we had our neighbour Debbie over for lunch and can you guess what we had?

Yes I brought some East Coast Maritime Lobster with me just for  Christmas Eve

We wrapped the few gifts we had gotten for each other, and hit the bed fairly early, as we needed to be up really early to facetime with our daughter and family to see the 'santa' openings. We truly felt like we were right there! Just before signing off I noticed a message on skype from our good friends Linda and Jim back home so we hopped on there for a couple of minutes and wished each other a very merry christmas.

There was no room to put the bikes under the tree but the quilting machine is under the steering wheel ...there was room for lots of bling tho :)

Last week I noticed in the local online newspaper the Caloosa Bell that they were seeking volunteers at the Labelle Legion to help prep and serve meals to shut-ins, seniors and the less fortunate. What a good idea  so I immediately called and signed us up. I had to choose between church service and volunteering -and it didn't take me long to decide this is also a wonderful way to worship. 

yes my crazy Elf is "The Christmas Story" crazy-last year he got the leg lamp and our daughter found this shirt this year.

Nice Jammies from Old Navy

We quickly opened our presents had some breakfast hopped in the shower, grabbed our aprons and off we went to Labelle. Our friends in Lehigh, Debbie and Kenny met us there. It was very well organized, we filled up 650 turkey dinner trays with all the trimmings, plus salad and dessert, and the volunteer drivers loaded up their cars, trucks, and vans and headed out the door with their delivery lists. What fun we had.

Myself and Deb at the legion

Kenny and Rick counting cake

filling the trays

They were offering us bloody marys and screwdrivers and beer (after all it was a legion) but we opted to 'wait' until all the dinners were packed. What a good feeling, and I sure didn't have time to be lonesome we were all so busy bantering with each other~the Christmas music was playing and we were definitely all in the Christmas spirit. After the task was completed...we all sat for a beverage, and somehow my sweet toothed elf managed to 'charm' some left over brownies out of someone.

The breakfast of Champions-Beer and Brownies

The four of us returned back to the resort around 1pm, where we sat out in the beautiful weather for a couple of hours.

Look Lilly Sant left us more toys at Auntie Debbie and Uncle Kenny's house..yipeee

Then it was time to head on over to the club house for our Christmas Dinner. And what a feast it was! There were over 50 people in attendance and we all took a gift for the yankee swap. Our neighbour Debbie also joined us at our table. Food was very abundant, and we thoroughly enjoyed the fellowship! There were lots of laughs.
Our friends Deb and Ken provided a wonderful snack platter, and I made my famous Sweet Potato Casserole (which I forgot to take a picture of)

We returned home, and it was time to track down the other kids. We called our east coast son who doesn't use skype (he was at his sister's for dinner earlier, and I'm sure she was thoroughly impressed Don that you gave the little girlies harmonicas for Christmas, hope you waited till after she fed you)~and we skyped with our other sons and our son in law who were way out on the west coast of Canada. So before bed we had pretty much covered the family. We were in bed fairly early as we were beat...tired but content and fullfilled. Today it is extremely warm but also very very windy. We took down the tree and put all the decorations and gifts away. Rick has been tying down awnings, and Debbie next door has been gathering up wheel covers that are blowing around. Why folks would go away for Christmas and not put their awning away is beyond my understanding. We couldn't get one to roll up (Rick thinks the arm is bent from the wind) so he took our tie downs over and secured it in the down position. I sure hope the owners will be able to fix it. I see that you all had a wonderful Christmas also, with family and or friends..and for those of you who are travelling ...be safe out there!!! Thank you for stopping by, I'm now off to put my feet up, and do nothing...tomorrow we are heading down to spend the day with Deb and Ken and will definitely be getting some shopping in.
Elaine
Rick Tucker and Lilly

Merry Christmas to all our Family and Friends!!!

Tucker and Lilly anxiously await Santa's arrival!!

Saturday night, Jack Frost paid a visit and managed to touch our flowers burning some of the top leaves and blossoms. By 9:00am it was a nice day with temps in the low 60's.

Bright and early we are off to Walmart for a couple of things we think we should get before the big day. I am glad we only needed a couple of things because by the time we get to the car the trunk is full. Does this ever happen to others because it seems its every time we go to a store?

Back home from Walmart and everything put away rI thought it was time to get a few things off the to do list. The Fantastic fan in the kitchen needed the screen cleaned as the air flow was down to about 20%. After that might as well do the small fan in the bathroom and after that -heck the AC units filters were getting a little yuccki as well so those were both cleaned.

After that I thought I should sit and relax a bit and watch the world go by outside the front window.

Cookies were on the list as well today but that wasn't my list so Elaine got busy and baked up a fantastic batch of chocolate chip cookies and of course even if I was trying to relax they had to be tested for quality so I took one for the team and did my part for quality.

After eating all those cookies I needed to get a little exercise so headed out to plant some flowers that we had picked up.

There is a small airport across the road from us that flies ultralights that tow hang gliders into the air and releases them to glide back to the ground. This goes on almost all the time especially on the weekends. I'm thinking I will give this a go sometime in the New Year.

Well tonight the big guy arrives...I surely hope he can find his way in even tho we do not have a chimney.
Wishing you all a Happy, Safe, Peaceful Christmas from our home to yours.

Today it is clean the rig and shine it up. We are having the neighbour over for lunch-'Lobster Rolls'...yes we have brought some maritime lobster with us just for today's lunch.
Be safe out there, and remember the 'reason for the season'
Rick Elaine Tucker and Lilly

Saturday Trip Around the Park

 A cool morning greeted us this morning as we got out of bed but a few minutes with the furnace had us comfortable. It has cooled down but it is nice sunny weather so its a good time for a bike drive and the following pictures show some of our travels, within our gorgeous park.

A small grove of palms next to the golf course.

 We have a lot of palm trees here at The Glades RV Resort many of them in groups of a dozen or more. Behind the palms above is the 5th hole of the golf course and beyond that part of the RV park.

The Caloosahatchee River

 The North boundary of the park is the Caloosahatchee River which is part of a waterway that goes from the Atlantic Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico using a combination of lakes canals and rivers.

The Marina

 The marina is a man made inlet from the river and was the home of a nice gator until yesterday when they trapped  and removed him, he was getting a little too close to some of the boats. I am sure that he will soon be replaced.

The marina again

A pair of owls

When I got back home Elaine was busy making Oreo snowballs of course I had to sample to make sure they were OK to share!

Finished product on the right.

Sunsets here looking out across the golf course gives you the feeling you are on the Serengeti Plain and although they are not across water they have a beauty all their own.

The end of another sunny day.

Another good day in South Central Florida...have a wonderful Christmas Eve Eve tomorrow folks..
"remember the reason for the season"

Rick
(Elaine tucker and lilly)

PS : adding this recipe for those who requested it: enjoy

OREO SNOWBALLS:
1 pkg (18 oz I used 14oz) oreo cookies with white filling-finely crushed 
1-8 oz pkg philly cream cheese softened
1-lb white chocolate (Melted)

I crushed the cookies in a large zip lock bag with a rolling pin first. Then added it to the cream cheese and hand stirred with a fork to mix well (I chopped up the philly into little pieces first)..I then blended on low with my beaters until well mixed. I left the batter/dough in the bowl and put in fridge for an hr. Then made approx 1" balls. Onto a cookie sheet lined with wax paper and back into the fridge for another hour. Then just melted the white chocolate in the microwave and dipped the balls..back onto a cookie sheet and into the fridge to set..after setting I popped them into a tupperware container in the fridge. Very rich...but good...

An Update!! Finally

We have been here at the Glades for a month now and settling in very well. We have the potluck suppers, and the happy hours pretty much under control. 

The weather has been exceptional with temperatures above normal, although some mornings start out foggy it soon burns off and the blue sky appears with the sun. We have been experiencing beautiful sunsets.

We have been negligent in keeping the blog up to date but we have been busy to the point of not being able to remember what we have been doing.
Monday is quilting group-pot luck on Tuesday-Wednesday mornings is our shuffleboard time with a nice group. Theres game night Monday, Bingo Wednesday, golf whenever you want, Thursday night is cards. We have made a couple of trips to Lehigh Acres to visit friends we met last winter at Avon Park and to do some some shopping and eating (there seems to be a high emphasis on eating with the Snowbird lifestyle).  The two adjacent towns to us, (they call them  cities) Labelle to the west about 12 miles and Clewiston to the east about 14 miles have become familiar places to go to replenish our larder and what nots.

Last Sunday with new friends Cal and Cheryl we took a drive into Clewiston to the Tiki Bar and Grill a really neat place! 

It is loacted along a canal that comes in from Lake Okeechobee with a lot of boat traffic We picked a table outside so we could enjoy the wonderful sunshine and 82 deg F. Had a great meal and washed it down with copious amounts of liquids so as not to get dehydrated sitting in the sun (have to be careful) and we got to watch a nice yacht come in the canal and tie up right beside us. After a few cold ones - Elaine offered to make friends and get us all invited aboard.

The road to Clewiston is paralled with a irrigation canal and between the park and town we counted 8 gators in the canal, it seems Larry and Mar are having trouble finding gators at their park.

Well Larry, come on down to The Glades RV Resort as we have a resident gator that spends most every day sunning himself/herself laying in a half inflated inflatable boat down in the marina, a daily bike trip has developed just to see if the gator is relaxing in the sun heck why not that's what we do every day.

Daily life here is pretty quiet just the way we like it and we can always find something to do if we want to get out of the lounge chair and do it but I am afraid the rig will not stand much more polishing. Some days quilting takes over the rig and provides something to keep the hands busy at. 

Tucker thinks this christmas quilt is for him

And we have another one in the making

And quite a bit of Christmas baking has been going on around here. Hard to show that because I seem to be eating it as fast as she can make it. I also have a nice neighbour lady who makes cookies for me. I puttered around today installing electricity (light and plugs) in her outside shed for her! Can't lay in the lounger all day. She has a pretty cool dog too..his name is Fritz.

My name is Fritz and I live next door.

This evening was the golf cart parade, and they lined up in great style with bright lights and music.

Being away especially during Christmas from our family, we are thankful for Skype and FaceTime. I have a pretty lonesome mama here with me. Elaine called the legion in Labelle after reading they were looking for volunteers on Christmas day. So we will present ourselves at 9:30am and help peel, chop and cook Christmas dinner for shut-ins, seniors, and the not so fortunate. Our friends from Lehigh Acres are going to join us there, then we will all come back here for the Christmas dinner at 4pm here at the club house. So that should be a fun day! 
We have been keeping up with all your blogs, its our blog that has been suffering..lol glad to see you are all doing well. Our hearts were broken in pieces last week over the CT incident-its hard to wrap your head around what has happened there. So so sad. We can only imagine the pain and heartbreak of all those families. 
Elaine usually does up our blogs but I got tired of waiting for her to 'get to it' so I took the chance of being her substitute..take care all thanks for stopping by, and remember the 'reason for the season'...have a blessed and very Merry Christmas from our home to yours and we wish you all the very best for 2013!
Rick
(Elaine Tucker and Lilly)

We Are Lit up like Buck Night in a house of Ill Repute!!!!

Well it has been some busy here in the sunny south..where in heck did any of us ever find the time to raise our families and work...I'm rocking this retirement gig. Big Time.
We have not stopped...we've been visiting down in the next town with friends who purchased a house down there. Lots of laughs and good times ..thanks Deb and Ken..
I think Rick is bored I caught him pruning the resorts palm trees the other day..once a putterer always a putterer I guess.
I've been going to quilt group..and sewing up a storm here in the coach.
Sunday after church service our plan was to deck out the coach and get the tree up in anticipation of the fat fellow's arrival. But that soon came to pass because after church service we happy houred the day away till 7 pm with friends here in the resort...So that plan was moved to the Monday list of things to do..and do it up we did...Theres lights around the inside slides...

Theres the tucker boy watching for santa

Our 3' Christmas Tree

yup the dash is lit up too 

can't have Christmas without a manager

Throw another log on the fire

And bless his heart he has been dropping of things sporadically...first biggie was my nice new confidence quilting machine..yipeee...then he thought we might want to peddle our a$$es and save gas..so he dropped these off..

Ricks ride and the kids Chariot

My ride..no fancy speeds here just woman power

And see that nice chariot for the furkiddos? Well Mr kiddo tucker 'hates' it..its embarrassing to haul him around the park with his blood curdling howls..which is strange because he and Lilly love our 4wheeler at home and love riding in a golf cart..maybe he feels we've down graded him from a golf cart to a kiddo bike hauler..little snob..all I know is I'm glad its on the back of Rick's bike and not mine..at least I can pedal quickly ahead of them when the screeching starts, and pretend I don't even know them. Next time we try him in there I'm gonna video tape his antics..
Today we got up early and were out the door by 9am headed for town. I so depend on google - a little too much maybe..it told me there was a Bank of America in the little town next to us..Well there wasn't and if there is it is invisible at that stated address..so we motored onto the next town..and popped some christmas $$ into our Mississippi daughter's bank account for her and her hubby. Thankfully I can email $ transfer to the western Canada kids.We then rushed back to the little town next to us, and we had lunch at the log cabin..sweet little spot with great food. Once nourished and energized it was off to the UPS store to ship a box to the western kids back home, and to the Mississippi kids. Then we stopped at a barber shop for the man to get mowed, and onto the grocery store to pick up a few supplies. 
We have just arrived back home..took the kids for a much needed walk..and now I'm going to have a 'drink' its five o'clock somewhere and its been a large day so far - then I will prep the taco salad for the pot luck dinner tonight at the club house. Glad to see you are all doing well..stay safe out there and thanks for stopping by..

Home is where you park it....
"Please remember the reason for the season"