31 October 2018 Ocala, FL

1 October 

     Today is the day I thought would never come! We closed this morning and began moving in this afternoon. 

     A friend and new neighbor planted Flah Flamingo in our yard to welcome us home this morning. We’ve almost been flocked!

2 October 

     Yesterday, I promised photos but last night we were weary to the bone so here are a few this morning. 

     At day's end we had dinner at The Club and came home to savor a bottle of champagne brought over by another new friend and neighbor. We slept here last night on an air mattress and enjoyed our coffee in our wonderful chairs that we've not seen for ever so long. The shot to left of kitchen is from the back yard and our lanai. Southerners call that a "screened porch".  ‘Lanai’ is far too fancy for us. We are most happy to be home.

10 October
     Today was my inaugural swim in one of our beautiful pools. This one is just a five minute stroll up the street. My swim was puny but it’s been so long since I’ve had the opportunity and I intend to get stronger every day. I have eagerly anticipated the day that I could swim at the slightest whim. 🏊‍♀️🏊‍♀️🏊‍♀️ Not in any of the pools have I had to clamber for a lane to myself.

     To all my Facebook friends. I am no longer using FB Messenger. I see that I have many messages but I am not going to re-install it. So communicate with me either by email, text, an old fashioned phone call, or Messages, please.

12 October

     Tonight we were enthralled, grinning the entire time, during Peter Noone and Herman’s Hermits performance. It was so much fun to know every song and to sing along (quietly).

15 October

     Our bedroom suit that we ordered in March was delivered today and 2 of the 5 crates were in splinters.  They HOPE they can get replacements to us by Christmas.

     Both of us deplore shopping but we have been in the trenches and have certainly boosted Ocala’s economy. And sadly, we ain’t through yet. Overheard a man complaining in an interior design studio, “it costs as much to furnish and decorate this #@%* house as it did to buy it!” I wholeheartedly agree.

     We aren't novices to moving. Several times during my "singlehood" I moved all alone and by myself but all of our moves combined were never as burdensome, complicated, thorny, and problematic as this one has been and continues to be. That must mean that moving is for the youthful.

25 October

It seems that Pickle Ball is what old folks migrate to—many of whom used to play tennis.  It’s been many moons since I was a tennis player so I was game to give Pickle Ball a whirl. Bill and I have taken a couple of lessons and it is SO much fun to run and pick up the ball because my paddle has great difficulty “connecting”. All of the players, even the Hot Dawgs, were so welcoming, friendly, and patient with us. We love it but I haven’t been to the courts many times because there are so many other things I want to do so I need to finish trying them all out so I can prioritize. I did peek in on the ballet and everyone there welcomed me with outstretched arms. They'll never confuse me with Pavlova!

     Today we ordered our sofa and were told to expect delivery in four months! :-(   We’re so empty that we echo.

26 October

We take any and every opportunity to celebrate everything! Today is our son, Andy’s 48th birthday as well as the 21st anniversary of our first date. We went to a lovely French restaurant owned by a couple from France and as was our last experience here, there, food and presentation were spectacular. We each ordered their filet mignon and it very well may beat out our favorite filet restaurant in Brunswick. They were so tender and delectable. A duo entertained us through our long and drawn out dining experience. Both sang and each played an instrument—guitar and flute. Their voices and their instrumentation blended impeccably.

30 October

     Today Bill drove to Jacksonville to bring another load of our carnage home. I think this is the 5th trip with the car packed to the gills. How in the world did we collect so much junque??? He hopes to be home tomorrow and he’s gotta be because we have a very fun thing to do on the 1st but you’ll need to wait another month to find out what that is and see photos.

31 October

     Friends have asked if we miss the boat. I miss our mattress!!! I think of Kindred Spirit III  often but am dumbfounded that I don’t pine for rocking at anchor and cruising the waterways. I thought I’d shed copious tears every day…that may transpire when she sells and leaves us standing on the shore as the new owners steam away from us.

     There are just SO many things to do here that, so far, there is hardly time to taste them all. I’m up before dawn, hit the deck running with no extraneous time during the day, and long for the sun to set so I can hit the hay. 

     Neither of us are sleeping well. It takes forever to fall asleep and then our thoughts awaken us despite the list we made before bedtime— sometimes it may be 1 AM or 3 AM and we’re up and at ‘em for the endurance.

     What brings me more joy than having enough room so that we don’t have to pat each others’ fannies when we need to pass or having a dishwasher and a washer and dryer that who-knows-who didn’t just washed their car mats and dog beds, is watching Bill playing in his garage. That poor baby has languished and yearned for years for a garage that he could outfit and begin his old car collection. In the middle of the night, if he’s not beside me, I know exactly where he is…and I’m right. For instance, he was showing me a little shim that looked like a domino sans spots, that he made for a shelf and explained to me how and where it would fit. All I could come up with was, “Billy, that’s such a clever idea and perfectly constructed.” After all these years, what should I expect from an engineer? It’s his attention to detail with everything that is such a superb gift. When I enter a room in the dark, the light switch is exactly where I’d expect it to be. Outlets are numerous and well placed. I can’t begin to enumerate all the things he thought of that would’ve never crossed my mind till we'd have closed and then it'd be "too dadgum bad!!!" I used to kid him about his obsession with minutia but now I praise him for it. Opposites certainly do attract.

     Thanks to you all for hanging in there with us all these years.

Bill and Laura

Larkhill

Ocala, FL